File photo/Profimedia.com, UPPA News
MANILA, Philippines—At least 175 water tankers will be deployed by Maynilad Water Services, volunteer firefighting groups and local government units to ration water to residents of about 800 villages in Metro Manila and neighboring Cavite province that will be affected by a massive water service interruption from Holy Wednesday to Black Saturday.
Cherubim Mojica, head of the water company’s corporate communications office, said Tuesday that 97 of the water tankers would be provided by volunteer firefighting associations in the affected areas.
The other tankers will be fielded by the following: Manila city government, 26; Maynilad, 18; Manila Water, 11; other water firms, 13; and the Parañaque city government, 10.
“The other affected LGUs said they would also deploy water tankers,” Mojica said in a text message, referring to Pasay City, Las Piñas, Makati City, Malabon, Navotas, and Caloocan City, all in Metro Manila, and Bacoor City and the towns of Imus, Kawit and Noveleta, all in Cavite. “They just haven’t gotten back to us with their respective counts. But we have advised them where they can draw water supply from.”
According to Mojica, Maynilad will prioritize water rationing in “areas that will have no water supply for 72 hours straight.”
The company had earlier advised affected customers to collect water in large containers to tide them over during the service interruption.
The water utility firm will also install stationary water tanks in the Baseco and Parola compounds in Tondo, Manila, as well as in parts of Cavite for the duration of the supply cutoff.
Four deep wells have been reopened in Cavite to mitigate the water supply problem, Mojica reported.
The water service interruption is scheduled from 1 p.m. Wednesday until 2 p.m. Saturday.
Early this week, Maynilad explained that a P560-million flood control project of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Blumentritt, Manila, would cause the water service interruption.
The project involves the installation of a flood water interceptor box culvert that would traverse the Maynilad water pipe at the corner of Juan Luna and Hermosa streets, Maynilad said in an earlier statement. This would also require the realignment of the water pipe prior to the implementation of the flood control project, it said.
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