The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System on Friday imposed financial penalties against West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Service Inc. for its failure to provide round-the-clock services to its customers in Las Piñas City.
“Maynilad has been ordered by the MWSS Board of Trustees to rebate to consumers that were severely affected in the identified area the amount of P2,500 per water service connection/household,” MWSS Chief Regulator Patrick Ty said in a statement.
In other developments:
• To help ease the water shortage in Metro Manila, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is asking the National Water Regulatory Board and the Local Water Utilities Administration to start implementing short-term measures.
The former president made the appeal after LWUA Administrator Jeci Lapuz informed Arroyo that the level of Angat Dam continued to dip further.
• The southwest monsoon or “habagat” is bringing ”on-and-off” moderate to heavy rainfall of 30 to 100 mm across Luzon and Visayas until Saturday afternoon, the Weather Philippines website said Friday.
The rainfall will be felt in Metro Manila and in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga, Bataan, Corregidor Island, Rizal, Quezon, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Maricaban Island, Lubang Island, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Calamian Island Group, Cabulauan Island Group, Quiniluban Island Group, Cagayancillo, Kalayaan Island Group, Romblon, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras and Negros Occidental, the website said.
Ty said Maynilad’s failure to provide 24/7 water services violated its service and obligations under the concession agreement with the agency as resolved by its board of trustees.
“Due to Maynilad’s failure to meet its service and obligations under the Concession Agreement, a financial penalty has been imposed,” he said.
According to the MWSS statement, the rebate shall be applied to succeeding water bills or statements of account until fully expended.
The firm failed to provide water to its customers last May in portions of Barangay Captain Albert Aguilar in Las Piñas City.
“Based on the evidence gathered by the MWSS Regulatory Office, it was determined that Maynilad customers who were severely affected in the above-mentioned area were deprived of water service with a minimum pressure of seven psi (pounds per square inch) for a period of more than 15 days, which adversely affected the public health or welfare,” Ty said.
Meanwhile, Arroyo said regulators should now start with the implementation of the measures agreed upon during a hearing last Tuesday “for the sake of our countrymen.”
She urged the LWUA and NWRB to begin tapping the water supply of nearby provinces to augment the water needs in the National Capital Region.
In the recent joint hearing of the House committees on public works and highways and the environment and Natural Resources, the panel said a short-term solution could be to direct the nearby water districts to apportion their resources to the affected areas in the metro.
Arroyo also urged all concerned government agencies to find additional ways to mitigate the water shortage, including fast-tracking infrastructure projects to augment the water supply.
“This problem needs swift and decisive action. Time is of the essence,” she said.
Regarding the rains, Weather Philippines said in its 2 p.m. bulletin that precipitation will be more frequent along with the coastal and mountain slope areas of these affected provinces.
“Hence, the Orange & Red Rain Alert [Severe Weather Warning] have been hoisted along these areas. Residents are advised to take precautionary measures against possible flash floods and landslides,” it added, citing the advisory of the state weather bureau.