MWSS probes claims of alleged errors in water bills

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Regulatory Office (RO) is now looking into complaints of alleged errors by concessionaires Manila Water Company Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. in the water bills of their customers.

“Yes, the MWSS-RO has been actively monitoring the situation. Every time we receive a complaint, whether, via email, telephone call, or social media, we immediately investigate and act on the matter,” MWSS Regulatory Office chief regulator Patrick Ty said in a text message to INQUIRER.net on Wednesday when asked to confirm the investigation.

“The MWSS-RO is monitoring the complaints of errors in the water bills of customers,” he also said.

According to Ty, most of the complaints against Manila Water and Maynilad are channeled to the MWSS through social media.

As of June 23, the MWSS has already received 146 complaints from social media and email for both water concessionaires, according to the official.

However, Manila Water said it was only basing its water bills on the actual meter reading of consumers.

“We do not have extra charges and never had. We want to assure our customers that we only bill them based on the actual registration of the meter especially now that we have already begun getting the actual meter reading of customers during the general community quarantine,” Manila Water spokesperson Jeric Sevilla said in a text message.

Maynilad also made the same comment, saying its customers are only being charged based on their actual meter reading.

“The higher-than-usual water bills received this June after our conduct of actual meter reading is due to the fact that said bill already reflects actual consumption in June plus adjustments from the March to May bills, which were estimated based on our customers’ average consumption prior to ECQ, as approved by the MWSS RO,” the company said in a statement.

Earlier in March, the MWSS has allowed both concessionaires to suspend the reading of meters during the enhanced community quarantine and instead bill customers based on their average monthly consumption over the past three months.

MWSS later ordered Maynilad and Manila Water to reflect actual water consumption and corresponding charges based on meter reading in the statements of account of customers. The actual meter reading resumed on June 1.

/MUF