Normal water meter reading begins next week

MANILA, Philippines — Starting next week, concessionaires will resume meter reading for water consumption, while customers should expect their bills from the three-month duration of the lockdown.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System-Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) said the read and bill operations of Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. for the west and east zones, respectively, shall resume on June 1.

Both water firms temporarily suspended their meter reading and billing starting March 21 to comply with the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

The March 17 to May 31 water bill of affected east zone and west zone customers will be computed based on the average consumption over the past three months before the lockdown was imposed.

Both Maynilad and Manila Water advised that any difference versus actual consumption will be reflected and charges will be adjusted on the customers’ next bill when they resume read-and-bill operations.

The agency maintained that lifeline accounts, or those consuming 10 cubic meters or less in a month, have until Aug. 1 to pay their bills.

For non-lifeline accounts, or those consuming more than 10 cubic meters a month, service disconnections will resume on Sept. 1 if they don’t settle their bills.

“Grace period and installment bills payment have also been implemented to provide economic relief for customers,” MWSS-RO said.

However, for Manila Water customers who have pre-lockdown bills with due dates before March 16, bills should be settled earlier as disconnection for them will likely begin by July 1.

For those with due dates from May 16 onwards, the normal 60-day lead time before disconnection applies, for both lifeline and non-lifeline accounts.

“However, since we will begin our normal read and bill activity on June 1, notices and reminders will be sent beginning July 16, and disconnection may begin Aug. 1,” Manila Water said.

On the other hand, Maynilad is giving a longer grace period, or until Aug. 31, to settle March to May bills, including those whose due dates fell before the start of the lockdown.