CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Prominent businessman and civic advocate Renato “Rene” Romero has called for immediate intervention from local water authorities following a wave of complaints over discolored and low-pressure water plaguing households across the city since May 17.
In a letter dated May 21 and addressed to PrimeWater San Fernando Branch Manager Mark Dalisay, with a copy furnished to City of San Fernando Water District (CSFWD) General Manager Engr. Nelson Lingat, Romero urged a consultative meeting between PrimeWater, CSFWD, and affected consumers to directly address the mounting crisis.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Romero said. “I have received videos and testimonials from residents reporting dark brown, sediment-laced water — in some cases resembling coffee in color — coming out of their taps. These widespread cases challenge PrimeWater’s claim that routine flushing explains the issue.”
The letter sharply criticized PrimeWater’s May 8 response to earlier complaints, describing it as “incomplete and unsatisfactory.” Romero called on the firm to disclose the root causes of the water contamination and outline transparent, measurable corrective actions to protect public health.
Romero, a long-time stakeholder in Pampanga’s business community, warned of possible health hazards resulting from prolonged exposure to tainted water and questioned the adequacy of PrimeWater’s service delivery under its joint venture agreement with CSFWD.
He also pointed to low water pressure as a compounding factor, noting that it has severely disrupted basic hygiene practices and domestic routines in affected communities.
Romero’s appeal comes days ahead of the CSFWD board’s May 28 deadline to evaluate the potential early termination of its Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with PrimeWater. He expressed support for such a move if the service provider fails to rectify its deficiencies.
“There is ample evidence that PrimeWater has fallen short of its basic obligations to the public,” Romero said. “Clean and safe water is not a privilege—it’s a fundamental right.”
As of press time, PrimeWater has yet to issue a statement responding to Romero’s latest demands. Consumers await confirmation of the proposed dialogue, hoping for concrete resolutions rather than temporary fixes.