MWC , Maynilad extend payment sked

Customers of Manila Water Company, Inc. (MWC) and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. will have until August to September to settle all their water bills, even those accumulated during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period.

But Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Chief Regulator

Patrick Ty has vowed to exercise compassion and will not allow penalty to be imposed on those who will not be able to pay on time.

The press slides released by MWSSRegulatory Office (RO) showed that the ECQ-triggered grace period for water bills payments is actually only up to six months and that Maynilad and Manila Water will already be allowed to issue service disconnection notices starting August and September.

To be specific, non-lifeline accounts will be given until August to settle all their water bill consumed from March to July before they will be given disconnection notices, while lifeline accounts, or those with way lower consumption, will have until September to settle their bills.

But Ty was quick to add that customers who couldn’t pay during that period could sign a promissory note and that no penalty shall be imposed on them.

"If they still can't afford to settle it, then they can go to the nearest business centers of Maynilad and Manila Water and ask for longer period and sign a promissory note," Ty said in a text message.

"We will be compassionate and understanding," he added.

MWSS-RO also assured that there will be no water disconnections during the ECQ period.

Meanwhile, Maynilad and Manila Water will already resume their meter reading activities starting June.

Right now, the two companies are just charging their customers based on their average water consumption in the past three months prior to ECQ.

But upon resumption of their regular operations, Maynilad and Manila Water will already be allowed to adjust charges on subsequent water bills based on the customer’s actual meter registration during the lockdown.

Maynilad and Manila Water are now both encouraging their customers to pay their bills via online banks or mobile fund transfer channels.

Last week, MWSS Administrator Emmanuel Salamat assured that it will continue to balance the “public’s water needs vis-a-vis Angat Dam’s sustainability in providing clean and sufficient water supply for Metro Manila and other service areas within MWSS jurisdiction”.

Salamat said this as the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) increased its raw water allocation from the 53-year-old dam from 46 cubic meters per second (CMS) to 48 CMS until May 31.

“The release of the 2 CMS is a timing move meant to ensure unimpeded delivery of essential water-related activities and services which is part of the government’s efforts against COVID 19 in this challenging period of extended ECQ,” Salamat said.

“MWSS is mindful of the risks in the declining Angat Dam elevation and is confident in the fact that the trend of decline is reasonable based on historical records. Moreover, the decline is slowed down by the inflow from the Umiray River, averaging between of 9 to 13 CMS, as part of MWSS’ contribution to Angat Dam out of the 17.5 CMS water rights MWSS holds from the yield of Umiray and Sumag Rivers,” he added.

Thus, despite an increased MWSS’ drawdown and as projected by hydrologists, Angat Dam will not drop below the minimum 180-meter mark this year, Salamat further said.