THE Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) said it continues to implement its Water Safety Plan (WSP) even if its Department of Health (DOH) certificate has already expired in 2022.
In a statement on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, MCWD said it has “maintained and implemented” its WSP despite the expiration of its Certificate of Water Safety Plan Acceptance issued by the DOH three years ago.
“What lapsed was the DOH certificate acknowledging the plan, not the plan itself,” MCWD General Manager Edgar Donoso said.
The water district is required to update and resubmit its WSP every three years for recertification.
“We want to assure the public that MCWD has a Water Safety Plan that guides our operations everyday,” Donoso said.
This was the agency’s response to a news report citing a Commission on Audit report that the MCWD has been operating and supplying water without a “valid certificate since late 2022.”
Rappler reported on Nov. 14 that MCWD’s last DOH-approved WSP was in 2019 which lapsed in 2022. The article further said the water district has been supplying water without an official certification that it meets safety standards.
Updated WSP
In its public statement, MCWD said the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has informed them that their updated WSP has been endorsed to the DOH for final evaluation.
The updated WSP, submitted to LWUA in February 2025, reportedly received an overall acceptance rating of 89.42 percent.
MCWD explained that the updated DOH certificate, originally scheduled years ago, faced setbacks due to force majeure events and operational disruptions.
These include the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions imposed, rehabilitation works after typhoon Odette, and the disruptions and tensions over the legality of the MCWD board of directors and senior officers.
Despite the lack of the DOH certificate, the MCWD assured that its operation continues to adhere to safety and quality standards.
MCWD said the water district has complied with the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water and its Water Quality Laboratory is accredited internationally under PNS ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
“This accreditation ensures that all testing processes consistently produce accurate and reliable results, further reinforcing the district’s commitment to public health and water safety,” the MCWD said.
The WSP is a proactive, risk-based system that ensures the safety of drinking water from the source to the tap.
The DOH said the WSP aims to prevent contamination, protect public health, and maintain reliable water supply.
It is necessary to manage risks from infrastructure failures, disasters, or environmental hazards, going beyond simple tap testing to guarantee consistent water quality.
MCWD currently serves more than 214,000 active connections in Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Talisay City, and the towns of Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Cordova. / EHP