MWSS criticizes Manila Water for unfinished Cardona treatment plant

An official of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said that the severity of the water shortage in the east zone concession area serviced by Manila Water Company is due to its water treatment plant in Cardona, Rizal still being unfinished. 

“They missed their target sa Cardona na dapat last year pa—that's partly their fault,” said the MWSS chief regulator Patrick Ty in a report on 24 Oras on Wednesday.

Manila Water admitted that they were not able to finish the Cardona Water Treatment Plant which was set to start operations in December last year.

Manila Water president and CEO Ferdinand Dela Cruz said that the construction of the water treatment plant is a complicated venture. The plant is supposed  to clean the water from Laguna Lake before supplying it to Manila Water's customers.

Manila Water's Cardona Water Treatment Plant in Cardona, Rizal. Photo: Manila Water

Ty hit Manila Water for their move to reduce water pressure to control water consumption in households.

But Ty clarified that MWSS is not authorized to impose sanctions on Manila Water.

“We are not empowered to issue penalties. There's a pending bill sa Congress na magkaroon ng Department Of Water para magkaroon silang additional na kapangyarihan,” Ty said.

MWSS Reynaldo Velasco administrator said that they are catching up with the demand of water in the east zone areas.

The last main water source that the government built was far back in 1967, Velasco said.

He also said that the postponed Kaliwa Dam project in Quezon is set to be finish by a Chinese company in 2023.

The threat of a fault line and the damage to the ancestral domain of some indigenous people living there are among the questions raised against the project.

“Magpapalam tayo sa IP agency. Yung faultline hindi totoong may fault line doon,” he said. — Joviland Rita/BM, GMA News