DCWD holds water rates steady, absorbs rising operating costs amid inflation

The Davao City Water District (DCWD) will keep its current water rates and absorb rising operating costs for now, with no new rate adjustment under consideration despite inflation, according to Edge Davao.

DCWD spokesperson Jovana Cresta Duhaylungsod said the utility has not discussed another increase even as fuel prices and other expenses continue to climb. "We're currently absorbing all of the increases in the market that affect our operations and services," she said.

Duhaylungsod said the water district is putting consumer welfare first by holding rates where they are rather than passing the added costs on to customers.

The DCWD last raised its rates by 12.5 percent in February 2026. Duhaylungsod said current rates are still affordable under the benchmarks used by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).

Alongside the rate freeze, the water district is running its Libreng Tubig program, which gives eligible residential customers free water for consumption in October, November and December 2026. Under the program's guidelines, residential accounts that use five cubic meters or less in a month will not be billed for that month's consumption during the covered period.

Duhaylungsod described the program as a gesture of thanks to customers who have supported the water district for more than 50 years, as well as a way to ease the effects of current economic pressures. The program is also meant to encourage households to conserve water by staying within the consumption limit.