For residents of San Pedro City who have long endured lack of quality water service from PrimeWater San Pedro, last week’s series of water service interruptions was the final straw.
As residents who were “serviced” by PrimeWater endured almost an entire week without water, their decade-long patience with the water service provider is now fast running out.
Already, there are reports that some consumer advocates in the city are considering legal action against what they believe is “estafa” on the part of PrimeWater, which had reportedly continued charging consumers even amid the water service interruptions.
Leaky pipe
PrimeWater San Pedro and the San Pedro Water District (SPWD) attributed the cause of the problem to a leak in its 12-inch transmission pipeline running under the National Highway in Barangay Landayan.
The leak necessitated emergency repairs that not only cut off water supply to PrimeWater San Pedro’s customers but also caused considerable traffic jams near the repair works area – coincidentally located near Robinsons Galleria South Mall and the Santo Sepulcro Shrine, already a major traffic chokepoint.
LGU action
Aside from providing emergency water rations to affected residents, San Pedro City Mayor Art Mercado called for an urgent meeting to address water-supply problems, not only with PrimeWater San Pedro but with other water providers in the city.
During the discussion, several concerns and reports from homeowners’ associations and barangay officials were raised regarding the ongoing water interruption and service disruption affecting residents.
“The City Government of San Pedro continues to closely monitor the situation and remains committed to working alongside all concerned stakeholders to ensure reliable and continuous water service for every San Pedrense,” according to a press statement posted on the LGU’s social media page.
Follow-up
Last week’s days-long power interruption in PrimeWater San Pedro’s service area is the latest in a decade-long series of problems of water supply and quality that has caused hardship among San Pedrenses.
It is not surprising that some San Pedrenses have once again called on the San Pedro Water District (SPWD) to formally terminate its 2015 joint-venture agreement (JVA) with PrimeWater.
Citing recent precedents in Santa Cruz, Laguna and San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, where the local government units through their respective water districts have taken back control of their water facilities from PrimeWater, a few sectors have once reminded the local government that PrimeWater is now ripe for what it had called the “extreme penalty” of terminating its JVA.
As of press time, the city government of San Pedro and the San Pedro Water District has yet to make a statement on whether the city is now ready to take over the city’s water supply from PrimeWater.
(Photo by James Caridad)
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