Metro Dumaguete Water (MDW), a joint venture between Dumaguete City Water District and Metro Pacific Water, is committing P524 million over the next five years to expand the city’s water supply and services.

MDW Chief Operating Officer Engr. Robert R. Cabiles said in a statement on Thursday that the capital expenditure (CAPEX) program will be directed toward service improvements, non-revenue water (NRW) management, source development, and the adoption of new technologies.

A major portion of the investment will address gaps in 24/7 water availability, which remains a challenge in certain areas.

“These zones have been factored into our master plan. The sustainable solutions for these areas have been identified and will be rolled out in the next 1-3 years,” Cabiles said.

Among the key projects are the construction of a new pumping station to serve northern barangays and pipe upgrades to keep up with population growth and rising demand.

“Investment in new infrastructure and technologies is part of Metro Dumaguete Water’s plans to further improve water distribution in the city. The allocation for next year’s CAPEX is a testament to our commitment to this,” Cabiles added.

Part of the CAPEX will also support customer service initiatives. These include more than 1,000 new payment partners—ranging from sari-sari stores to digital platforms—and the launch of the region’s first 24/7 customer service hotline.

“Metro Dumaguete Water has always put the consumers at the center of its service. We listen to our customers. The 24/7 hotline shows that we are ready to cater to emergency requests at any time,” Cabiles said.

The latest round of investments builds on MDW’s earlier upgrades. In the past year, the company established pumping stations PS 21 and 22, which increased supply by 6.7 million liters per day (MLD).

It also rehabilitated over 9 kilometers of distribution pipelines and added 4 kilometers of transmission lines, expanding coverage to 95 percent of Dumaguete’s 135,000 residents.

Despite the scale of investments, Cabiles assured that MDW continues to maintain one of the lowest water rates in the province, with a minimum charge of P202.50.

“We are keeping our rates fair and reasonable. We can only uplift lives in the city by providing safe and affordable water to the Dumagueteños,” he said.