Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

MAYNILAD Water Services, Inc. will issue rebates totaling P3.92 million to some customers in Imus City, Cavite, as a penalty from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS RO) for poor water quality.

The MWSS RO announced during an information drive on Wednesday that each of the 3,494 affected water connections will receive a rebate of P1,122.37, which will be reflected in their monthly bills starting July.

The rebate program will be implemented across nine barangays in Imus City that were affected by the water quality issue.

The regulator imposed the penalty due to water color and residual chlorine identified at the Anabu Modular Treatment Plant and its supply zone in Imus City.

The MWSS RO previously announced that it had imposed a financial penalty of over P2 million on Maynilad in the form of rebates to affected customers due to high levels of bacteria detected at a sampling point in Caloocan City last November.

Each of the 3,841 affected water connections will get a rebate of P530.69.

Maynilad earlier said in a statement that the incidents were “promptly addressed and resolved.”

“Maynilad is committed to providing the highest quality water and will continue to take proactive measures to ensure the reliability and safety of our services,” the water concessionaire has said.

The company said it will continue to work closely with MWSS RO and Department of Health in monitoring the quality of the water supply distributed to its customers.

Maynilad serves the cities of Manila, except San Andres and Sta. Ana. It also operates in Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon. It also supplies the cities of Cavite, Bacoor, and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario, all in Cavite province.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has a majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera