Maynilad to pay for damaged property in Sta. Mesa leak

Water service provider Maynilad Water Services will pay for the damage caused by sudden flooding caused by a burst main pipe in Sta. Mesa, Manila, GMA News reporter Mark Salazar reported on 24 Oras on Friday.

Maynilad also announced that they will not charge their customers for the losses incurred when its 1,050-mm primary line along Ramon Magsaysay Ave. corner Santol burst on Wednesday night.

In an earlier interview, Ryan Jamora of Maynilad explained that they were replacing an old pipe line when an isolation vale gave way.

He said the Sta. Mesa primary line was laid down in the early 1970s and had weakened by age.

An estimated 3,000 cubic meters of water, or the equivalent of 300 water tankers, spilled out of the primary line per hour.

Maynilad said regular services have been restored to more than 200,000 customers who suffered service interruption since Thursday evening.

Maynilad personnel on Friday visited communities affected by the flooding caused by the water leak to assess the damage per household.

Residents were asked to submit their Maynilad billing statement together with their damage claims for easy identification and processing of payment.

"Kasi madaling ma-identify po sa account number para mismong pupuntahan sa bahay. Pero hindi lang naman ho may account, siyempre meron din pong mga ibang bahay po na wala pong tubig pero siyempre pinapasok pa rin namin para makita po yung damages," the unidentified Maynilad representative told 24 Oras.

Among the areas heavily affected by the flood was Barangay 579, whose barangay chairperson was initially hesitant to echo Maynilad's announcement.

"Sabi nila, eh siyempre ako hindi ko pa naman sinasabi sa mga constituent ko, kasi baka mamaya wala, umasa yung aking mga constituent," Barangay Chairman Lourdes Lantican said. — APG. GMA News