MCWD Opens Water Connection for Remote Areas of Brgy Apas

About 1,500 families in remote areas of Barangay Apas in Cebu City shouted in cheers after the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) announced that starting today they can already avail of water connections in their respective houses.

For the past several years, these poor families mostly living in the province-owned lots are just buying water at P5 per container, meaning a cubic meter of water will cost P250 which is very expensive.

MCWD only sells its water supply at P13 per cubic meter if the monthly water consumption will not reach over 10 cubic meters. The MCWD will charge P48 to consumers whose consumption is more than 30 cubic meter in one month.

Charmaine Rodriguez, the water firm’s corporate affairs manager, said the water expansion project in Barangay Apas will improve the lives of those people living in upper areas of the barangay.

The joint venture project between MCWD and Abejo Builders Corporation would mean that the latter will supply bulk water of 2,000 cubic meters per day to MCWD and the water will be injected into the water firm’s pipeline.

“The supply will cover around 1,500 households and will mean cheaper water services that will reach their homes. They are presently buyingwater by gallons at prices more than double than MCWD rates.” Rodriguez said.

The agreement is that Abejo Builders will supply MCWD about 23 million liters of water everyday at only P14.78 per cubic meter.

MCWD chairman Rene Mercado said the actual cost of water per cubic meter, including the cost of operation, is about P22 per cubic water,but the water firm is subsidizing part of the payment of those consumers that only consumes not more than 10 cubic meters a month so they only pay P13 per cubic meter.