Court orders Syntech to obey water permits

CEBU, Philippines - Regional Trial Court Judge Ester M. Veloso has directed Condominium developer Syntech Properties Inc., to stop supplying water to its newly built condominium Towers 3 and 4 and follow what is stipulated in the water permits.

Veloso, in her order, instructed Syntech, which develops the City Lights Gardens Condominium in Nivel Hills to stop using the water wells originally built only to provide water requirements for the first two towers.

Veloso said developer Syntech admitted supplying water to Towers 3 and 4 taken from the four wells covered by conditional water permits issued by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).

These permits however allowed the extraction of water to a volume only for the estimated consumption of the 140 unit-owners of Towers 1 and 2, at six persons per condominium unit.

"It has been established that the water permits for the four wells were intended for Towers 1 and 2 alone, since this was what Syntech itself stated in its project information," the order read.

"It is clear that the permits were originally intended for Towers 1 and 2 alone since the basis for the issuance was on the number of units of both towers only," the court added.

Citylights Gardens Condominium Corporation and its developer, Syntech, have been engaged in a legal battle for months after the latter sued the condominium corporation for its continued use of the clubhouse where the condominium corporation held office.

Residents of Towers 1 & 2 were deprived of water when the developer shut off water supply to lay out water pipes to provide water to its two new towers, 3&4, using the supply wells of Towers 1 & 2.

Towers 3 & 4 are part of the expansion program of Singapore-based Syntech Properties, in partnership with local property owner.

For its part, Syntech Properties Inc., said through a statement that they had been faithfully complying with the re-piping of the water system in order to benefit the entire condominium project which are composed of the entire Towers 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The said re-piping was primarily made by SPI to revert the original water piping system that was unilaterally altered by Citylights Gardens Condominium Corporation – Towers 1 and 2 that bypassed the filter procedures needed to produce potable water for the residents of the entire condominium project.

Upon the completion of the re-piping of the water system Citylights Gardens Condominium Corp - Towers 1 and 2 through its board had unilaterally refused to be recipient of potable water that is sourced from the central tank.

The existence of the valve switch leading to their cistern tank has always been under the direct control of Towers 1 and 2 and has never been under the control of SPI.

Syntech statement further stated that the current capacity and capability of all 4 deep wells are more than enough to cater to the needs of the four towers as indicated in the water permits, “if only Towers 1 and 2 would be willing enough to be recipient of water supplied from the central tank.” — Ehda M. Dagooc