CEBU CITY – Metro Cebu residents will have to shell out more for their water bills.
The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) announced that it will implement the final 10 percent tranche of its approved water rate adjustment starting April 1.
The upcoming increase is part of MCWD’s first rate adjustment in 10 years. The last hike was in 2015 as no increases were made during the pandemic to help ease the burden on consumers.
Despite the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)-authorized adjustment, MCWD emphasized that its rates remain competitive compared to other water districts and private suppliers.
The water facility added that its minimum charge for basic consumption is still relatively affordable for Metro Cebu households.
For residential connections using a ½-inch meter, the minimum charge for the first 10 cubic meters will be P259.16, an increase of P23.56 from the current monthly minimum rate of P235.60.
Commodity charges are set at P28.64 per cubic meter for 11 to 20 cubic meters, P33.71 per cubic meter for 21 to 30 cubic meters, and P82.52 per cubic meter for consumption of 31 cubic meters and above.
This adjustment represents the last phase of the rate increase approved by LWUA in August 2025. The initial implementation was on Oct. 1, 2025.
MCWD explained that the staggered rollout was designed to cushion the impact on consumers by spreading the adjustment over a manageable period.
The adjustment is necessary to sustain daily operations and fund priority projects aimed at improving water service and efficiency of operation, the MCWD said.
Among these are ongoing efforts to reduce non-revenue water (NRW), including losses from leaks, illegal connections, and aging infrastructure.
The water district continues to rehabilitate old pipelines and expand their distribution network to meet growing demand and support additional water sources.
While implementing these upgrades, MCWD has adopted internal cost-control measures but noted operational expenses have steadily increased over the years.
The rate adjustment traces back to MCWD’s application filed with LWUA, following public consultations conducted in November 2022 as part of the approval process.