MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS RO) ordered Maynilad Water Services Inc. to refund a total of at least P2 million to its customers in Caloocan City and Imus, Cavite as a penalty for the poor water quality supplied in the areas.
The company issued a statement on Tuesday, saying the penalty would be distributed as rebates on the monthly water bills of some of its customers.
The MWSS RO cited a “total coliform failure” at a regulatory sampling point in Caloocan City in November last year. It said the penalty was computed to cover 21 business days— November 29 to December 19, 2023.
According to the concessionaire of the MWSS West Zone, a total of 3,841 water service connections were affected in Caloocan, with each of them getting a rebate of P530.69.
On the penalty imposed covering Imus customers, Maynilad has yet to disclose the figures as the MWSS RO still needs to hold its public information drive on Wednesday. The number of affected customers in this area was also not provided.
Maynilad dismissed the issue as “isolated water quality non-compliance incidents.”
“We want to assure our customers that these incidents were promptly addressed and resolved,” the company said.
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“In response, we have implemented enhanced process interventions, including intensified pipe flushing, accelerated pipe replacements, and expedited leak repairs and closure of illegal connections,” Maynilad added.
The firm said it is working closely with the MWSS RO and the Department of Health to ensure the quality of the water supply being supplied to its consumers. INQ