By Mae Singuay and Jen Baylon
The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is requesting the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) and PrimeWater Infrastructure Inc. to study the possibility of suspending minimum charges for residents with zero water consumption.
Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella said they passed the resolution due to water supply shortage caused by drought in the city.
Many households in the city suffered from zero water supply.
Puentevella emphasized that Baciwa-PrimeWater should refrain from charging consumers who use less than 10 cubic meters of water per month, citing consumer complaints regarding water quality and insufficient supply, exacerbated by the recent hot weather conditions.
He said he expects that the water service firms will consider their request.
Meanwhile, Baciwa general manager Mona Dia Jardin said they have already implemented a zero billing policy and refrained from charging minimum fees to consumers in areas with inadequate water supply.
Jardin mentioned that consumers with zero water consumption are not billed.
She said they will carefully study the SP’s request and take appropriate action in response.
Earlier, Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said Baciwa-PrimeWater vowed to increase water supply by seven million liters of water per day (MLD), with a maximum volume of 17 MLD, within three months./MS, JB, WDJ