THE REGULATORY office of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has suspended all water service disconnection activities during the two-week lockdown in the capital region from Aug. 6 to 20.
MWSS Chief Regulator Patrick Lester N. Ty said Metro Manila’s two water concessionaires, Manila Water Co., Inc. and Maynilad Water Services, Inc., have been ordered not to disconnect customers with arrears and to ensure water supply availability within their respective service areas.
“The MWSS-RO has directed Manila Water and Maynilad to suspend all service disconnection activities, whether temporary or permanent, for the duration of the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) period,” Mr. Ty said in a statement on Wednesday.
Mr. Ty also appealed to local government units in Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces of Cavite and Rizal to allow the meter readers of the two water concessionaires to carry on with their on-site water meter reading and billing operations during the ECQ.
He said the continuation of water reading and billing operations will allow the water concessionaires to charge customers based on actual water consumption and help reduce complaints arising from the use of average consumption as basis.
“The MWSS Regulatory Office has directed both concessionaires to ensure strict compliance of their meter readers and other personnel with the prescribed health and safety protocols in the conduct of read-and-bill,” Mr. Ty said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave