MCWD imposes stricter disconnection policy

Local

STARTING October, Metro Cebu residents who fail to pay their water bills for a month may face the risk of losing their supply as the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) imposes stricter disconnection policy.

Under the revised rules, MCWD will disconnect water service only after one month of unpaid bills, replacing its previous practice that allowed up to two months of non-payment before a cut-off.

Customers will also have a longer seven-day grace period from the due date to settle accounts, compared to just three days before.

“This adjustment is intended to make monthly payments more manageable and prevent the stress of accumulated dues that become harder for households to pay off in one go,” MCWD said in a statement.

The water utility added that the change is meant to balance consumer relief with its own goal of improving collection efficiency, which currently stands at 92 percent.

MCWD hopes the new system will help it reach the 95-percent collection target set by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).

Payment channels and penalties

MCWD reminded consumers that bills may be paid not only at its main office but also through Maya, GCash, ECPay, Bayad Center, SM Bills Payment Centers, and M Lhuillier outlets, some of which remain open even on weekends and holidays.

Late payments will be charged a 2-percent penalty, while disconnected accounts will be subject to a P335 reconnection fee.

To speed up reconnections, MCWD said it has deployed additional teams working in shifts to restore service within the same day of payment.

Keeping consumers informed

To avoid missed notices, MCWD urged customers to update their mobile numbers and email addresses.

The agency also reminded the public that its main office is open from Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., while its Customer Service Hub at SM Consolacion operates daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. A 24/7 call center and social media updates are also available.

Previous billing changes

The stricter disconnection rule comes months after MCWD restructured its billing system in March 2025. It resulted in lower water bills for residential users with low consumption.

The restructuring integrated the Purchased Water Adjustment (PWA) and Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) into the base rate, following provisional approval from LWUA.

MCWD explained that while the tariff adjustment was necessary to cope with rising costs of bulk water and electricity, the removal of separate surcharges helped ease the burden on smaller consumers.(TGP)