Water companies to increase rates for April to June
In addition to increases in the prices of fuel and electricity, consumers in the capital region and nearby provinces will also have to pay increased water rates in the second quarter due to foreign exchange fluctuations.
According to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), its board of trustees approved the implementation of the foreign currency differential adjustment (FCDA) for the April to June period.
The FCDA is a quarterly reviewed tariff mechanism that allows Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services Inc. to recover losses or give back gains following movements in the value of the peso against foreign currencies.
The water providers have to settle foreign currency-dominated loans that are used to finance expansion and enhancement involving their water and sewerage services.
Approved charges
Based on the decision, Manila Water will impose a 4-centavo hike per cubic meter.
Households consuming 10 cubic meter to 30 cubic meter will only have to pay 14 centavos to 58 centavos more during the period.
The firm serves the east zone network of Metro Manila, covering parts of Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Pateros, Mandaluyong, San Juan, portions of Quezon City and Manila and several towns in Rizal province.
Maynilad rates, meanwhile, will go up by 9 centavos per cubic meter.
This means that its customers consuming 10 cubic meter or less will see their monthly bill inch up by 27 centavos.
Those consuming 20 cubic meter and 30 cubic meter will see their bills go up by P1 and P2.07, respectively.
Maynilad is the water and wastewater services provider for the west zone, covering 17 cities and municipalities in Metro Manila and Cavite.
In another development, regulators said the Pangilinan-led Maynilad will have to pay a P42.56-million penalty for failing to deliver around-the-clock water supply for nearly 100,000 customers within the Putatan Water Treatment Plant and Poblacion Water Treatment Plant Supply Zones last February.
“[This] will be implemented in the form of bill rebates … to be reflected in customers’ water bills by April 2026,” the MWSS said.
