Maynilad Water Services Inc. explained that the ongoing water service interruptions (WSI) affecting its customers in Muntinlupa and other areas are due to facility maintenance at the Putatan Water Treatment Plants.
The company has been the target of criticism from irate customers in Muntinlupa for its poor water service.
Recently, Maynilad announced that its “customers in portions of Bacoor City, Cavite City, Imus City, Las Piñas City, Muntinlupa City, Parañaque City, Noveleta, Cavite and Rosario, Cavite will have water service interruption daily starting March 24, 2023 until April 1, 2023.”
(From left) Mayor Ruffy Biazon, Maynilad’s Harold Lopez and Greg Antonio, and PIO chief Mimi Gonzales (Screenshot from Muntinlupa City government video)
“Maynilad will be conducting intensified cleaning of the plants’ filters following the prolonged entry of highly turbid water. This activity will allow the plants to return to normal operations now that turbidity is expected to go down with the end of Amihan season,” it said.
To discuss the problem, the Muntinlupa City government’s Public Information Office invited Maynilad representatives to an online talk on Facebook on March 29.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon and PIO chief Mimi Gonzales invited Maynilad’s Greg Antonio, head of the Water Production Department, and Harold Lopez, head of the Muntinlupa-Las Pinas Business Area.
On the daily water service interruptions, Antonio said this is due to the Amihan season that is causing high water turbidity.
“Same pa rin po yung reason natin. Yung sinasabi nating turbidity or paglabo ng tubig (We still have the same reason. This is due to turbidity or water getting cloudy),” said Antonio.
He said Maynilad has installed silt barriers and membranes at the Putatan Water Treatment Plant.
But he said the turbidity this year is “one for the books.” He said the turbidity in Laguna Lake, the water source for Maynilad’s Putatan plant, is 28 days longer this year compared to previous years.
He said Maynilad has seen that turbidity in Laguna Lake has reached 40 sq. km., which was the maximum area reached by its sampling boat.
However, Antonio said Maynilad has no concrete explanation about the high water turbidity in Laguna Lake.
“Sa ngayon wala pa po kaming concrete basis dun sa cause ng paglabo pero yung evidence lang po nung visual. Yun lang po ang nakikita namin (At present we have no concrete basis on what is causing the water to get cloudy but we only have the visual evidence. That is what we are seeing),” he said.
Maynilad is currently constructing its third water treatment plant in Muntinlupa in Barangay Poblacion.
Antonio said by November this year, the Poblacion plant will operate one-third of its capacity or 50 million liters per day. He said the two water treatment plants in Barangay Putatan are “just enough” to meet the water demand of Maynilad customers.
He said the two Putatan Water Treatment Plants can produce 280 million liters of water per day.
The Poblacion plant, which will have a full capacity of 150 million liters of water per day, will provide water if Maynilad does maintenance work at the Putatan Water Treatment Plants.
Antonio said with the operation of the Poblacion plant by November, there will be no water service interruptions.
“Eto po yung kinakailangan natin to ensure 24 hours provision ng supply po (This is what we need to ensure 24 hours provision of supply),” he said.
Some customers in Muntinlupa have complained why Maynilad has set the supply of water at midnight.
Lopez said that at present, Maynilad’s water production is limited, prompting the company to allocate water supply. He said the allocation depends on the elevation of the area, distance, and demand.
He said the Southville 3 housing project in Barangay Poblacion is the highest and farthest water service area of Maynilad in Muntinlupa.
On the different hours being implemented by Maynilad for its water service interruptions, Lopez said it depends on the water production.
“Kapag po bumaba yan, talaga pong yung inilabas naming notice bigla pong nababago yan (When the [water production] goes down, the notice [about water service interruption] that we issued will change),” he said.
Biazon said that on the part of the city government, it provides water to different areas using water tankers.