METRO WATER SOURCE | As of Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 9, 2023, the water elevation at Angat Dam was above 212 meters, the minimum level for normal operations, unlike on July 9 last year when the water elevation fell to 180 meters. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — There will be no water service interruptions this summer despite the onset of the El Niño weather phenomenon, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said on Tuesday, adding that Metro Manila’s main supply source remained at its normal operating level.
MWSS spokesperson Patrick Dizon explained at a public briefing that the water elevation at Angat Dam in Bulacan province was still above the 212-meter minimum level needed for normal operations.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Dizon said that Angat, which supplies more than 90 percent of the water needs of Metro Manila and nearby provinces, had an elevation of 213.49 meters.“We can assure our countrymen that water will be sufficient this summer,” he said, noting that heavy rainfall in December helped maintain normal water elevation in the dam.
The MWSS earlier also requested the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to maintain the elevation level in Angat above the 212-meter minimum operating level to ensure adequate water supply in the dry season.
MWSS request
The NWRB usually releases water from Angat when its elevation breaches the 212-meter level.The MWSS, however, wrote to the NWRB to request that water be released only when the elevation level surpasses the 214-meter maximum level.
Dizon added that they were also planning on inaugurating a new water treatment plant with a capacity of 50 million liters per day (MLD) in Laguna province during the first quarter of the year to further augment supply.
This was in addition to Maynilad Water Services Inc.’s P11-billion Poblacion water treatment plant, which partially opened in December. The plant draws water from Laguna Lake.
New treatment plant
Initially producing only 50 MLD, the facility is designed to produce 150 MLD at full capacity. It is expected to serve around 1 million Maynilad customers in Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa in Metro Manila, as well as Cavite province.
“The additional water supply it produces will help minimize service interruptions due to raw water quality shifts in Laguna Lake, which have been occurring with more frequency owing to the effects of climate change,” Maynilad said.
Dizon cautioned, however, that service interruptions might occur this year but only if there were cases of leak repairs and pipe rehabilitation.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration warned against the impending dry spell as early as the second quarter of 2023, saying that El Niño could persist until June this year.