MIWD condones payment of water bills with 0-5 cu.m reading
Iloilo City residents who get air instead of water from their faucets would no longer be forced to pay the minimum charge of P159 to the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD).
MIWD in a resolution passed by its Board of Directors decided to condone the payment of water bills in areas experiencing water shortage particularly in Jaro district and the waterfront barangays.
In a press release sent to media outlets, MIWD officer in charge Engr. Edgar Calasara said that the move was in response to the mounting complaints of concessionaires not getting flow of water from their faucets.
The policy says that water bills which have zero to five cubic meter (0-5 cu.m.) consumption reading shall not be delivered anymore provided the MIWD Engineering Department certifies the area as without water for the period.
The policy added that if such water bill has already been delivered, the concessionaire does not have to pay it. And if the concessionaire already paid it in any authorized MIWD collecting banks or payment outlets, it shall be retained and considered as advanced payment for future water bills.
Calasara said the policy shall be effective for a period of 60 days starting Nov. 1, Dec. 31, 2008 unless extended by appropriate Board resolution.
He, however, stressed that consumers in areas where there is steady supply of water are obliged to pay their monthly water bills.
Earlier, water consumers in waterfront barangays sought the assistance of their barangay officials to bring their complaints to the MIWD management as they do not receive supply of water but continues to be charged with the P159 minimum.
Thursday last week the barangay officials was supposed to meet with Engr. Calasara to settle the matter but the latter reportedly ignored them.
It was learned that some MIWD service areas in the city are suffering from low water supply if not total water shortage.
Calasara assured the consuming public that MIWD is doing everything to fasttrack the permanent repair of its damaged pipe and the ongoing cleaning of its reservoir in order to restore water supply in its normal state.