Maynilad to give rebate to customers affected by water interruptions —MWSS RO

West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. is set to give rebate to its customers affected by prolonged water interruptions in areas served by the Putatan Water Treatment Plants (PWTPs), the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS RO) said Wednesday.

In a statement, MWSS chief regulator Patrick Ty said that, based on the investigation conducted by the MWSS RO, Maynilad “was found to have violated its Service Obligation of ensuring the availability of an uninterrupted 24-hour supply of water to connected customers within the PWTP Supply Zone.”

To recall, the MWSS RO issued in December 2022 a notice to explain to Maynilad due to the “lack of necessary public advisories and notices regarding water service interruption (WSI) schedules, the continuous extension of WSI schedules, and the surge in customer complaints received and monitored by the Office." 

The agency said that the prolonged water service interruptions have been adversely affecting the well-being of customers served by the Putatan Water Treatment Plants (PWTP) since December 20, 2022.

“In a meeting held on 06 January 2023, Maynilad accepted the findings of the said investigation and volunteered to provide a rebate to the affected customers,” Ty said.

“The MWSS RO is currently in the process of assessing the final rebate amount, which shall not be recoverable or passed on to the consumers,” he said.

“Meanwhile, the MWSS RO has ordered Maynilad to fast-track the resumption of normal water supply to the affected customers, especially during this time of the pandemic when water is most essential for safeguarding public health,” Ty said.

In a separate statement, Maynilad confirmed it accepted the result of MWSS RO’s probe and it volunteered to give a rebate to its customers affected by the recent water interruptions.

“Said interruptions were due to the reduced production of our treatment plant in Putatan, Muntinlupa, resulting from a damaged sludge removal equipment, coupled with a rise in turbidity levels of the raw water from Laguna Lake,” the company said.

“We wish to inform the public that repairs on the sludge removal equipment are now 75% complete. This has enabled us to increase water production to 91%, and gradually reduce the number of affected customers or lengthen the supply availability duration,” it added.

Maynilad said it is stabilizing the plant’s system that was affected by the defective equipment, and monitoring the turbidity trend in the raw water supply.

“Barring any complications, water service should revert to normal levels by the end of January 2023 or earlier,” the company said.

Maynilad provides water and wastewater services to residents in most parts of the City of Manila; northern and western parts of Quezon City; western parts of Makati City; and the Cities of Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa, Navotas, and Malabon in Metro Manila.

It also serves the municipalities of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario, as well as the Cities of Bacoor, Cavite, and Imus in the Province of Cavite. —KG, GMA Integrated News