Majority of Water Districts Report Poor Service Under PrimeWater

Pressure continues to mount against PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. as an estimated 50 Local Water Districts (LWDs)are now moving to terminate their joint venture agreements (JVAs) with the Villar-owned water utility company.

Sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Public Services, Senator Raffy Tulfo reported that his office conducted a survey among 70 LWDs. The results showed that 61 districts are not satisfied with PrimeWater’s service.

Ayon kay Tulfo, marami nang water districts ang pumasok o naghahanda nang pumasok sa pre-termination process ng kanilang JVAs. However, he stressed that wanting to get out is different from actually being able to get out, lalo na’t komplikado ang kontrata at mabigat ang legal requirements.

The senator also raised a worrying projection: by 2025, over 6,000 households under PrimeWater may experience only five hours of water supply per day.

Hindi lang daw LWDs ang umaalma. After the Senate hearing, subdivisions serviced by PrimeWater also reached out to Tulfo’s office to report similar service issues, especially erratic water supply.

Tulfo further flagged several concerns:– Some LWDs have no sewerage treatment facilities, which are required for proper wastewater management.

PrimeWater is not authorized to raise tariffs, yet several complaints point to unauthorized adjustments.The company allegedly fails to comply with performance bond requirements, despite repeated requests from water districts.

PrimeWater President Bert Fabrique defended the company during the hearing, claiming that water service under PrimeWater has not worsened. This explanation did not convince Tulfo, who questioned how the company could assert good performance amid numerous unresolved complaints.

Tulfo also criticized Fabrique for struggling to answer basic questions, saying a company president should be able to respond clearly and confidently in a Senate inquiry.

As more water districts express frustration and move toward termination, the fate of PrimeWater’s JVAs nationwide remains uncertain.