Water firm reduces off-peak supply flow

East Zone concessionaire Manila Water Co. Inc. will still lower water pressure coming from faucets during off-peak hours to manage the limited water supply even if the water allocation from Angat Dam is retained in the first half of May.

“To help extend the limited supply, we are still implementing water pressure reduction from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.,” Manila Water corporate communications head Dittie Galang said in a message on Thursday.

West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc., however, said no service interruptions will be implemented in its coverage area except for scheduled and emergency maintenance activities.However, Maynilad said in a statement that the increasing water demand “could lead to lower network pressure despite this sustained allocation, unless consumers work together to manage their water consumption.”

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) retained the 50 cubic meters (cu. m.) per second allocation for domestic use from May 1 to 15 to meet the increasing demand for water amid the extreme hot weather.

Patrick James Dizon, manager of MWSS Water and Sewerage Management Department, said the Angat allocation, equivalent to 4.3 billion liters a day, would help avoid water service interruptions.

STATE OF CALAMITY (April 18,2024) Mayor Jerry Treñas, Head of Management Council (CDRRMC) approved the council’s recommendation placing the city under the state calamity to access emergency funds and resources to address the water scarcity. The Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction is recommending placing the City under a state of calamity due to water shortage caused by the drought spell spawned by the El Niño phenomenon in Iloilo City. -ARNOLD ALMACEN/Iloilo City Mayor’s Office

“We will ensure that there won’t be any supply cut once the water pressure is reduced. If there is a service interruption usually due to repairs, it will be announced ahead of time,” Dizon said in an interview on the state-run television program “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.”

Dizon said water concessionaires reached an agreement with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to get their 1 cu. m. water allocation for irrigation.

“The supply is not enough to meet the demand for water due to high temperatures,” he said.

Angat Dam is the primary source of water for Metro Manila and nearby towns both for domestic use and irrigation. It supplies around 90 percent of water requirements of Metro Manila and adjacent areas.

The NWRB releases raw water coming from the dam to the MWSS which is then split between Maynilad and Manila Water, with Maynilad getting a bigger share because it has a larger customer base.

Amid the retained allocation, the two firms appealed to consumers to conserve water and avoid wastage.

‘Alternate water sources’

Maynilad said it is augmenting the water supply by drawing water from other sources, such as deep wells, reused water and rivers.

“Even before the El Niño phenomenon set in last year, we have been developing alternate water sources to augment the growing water requirement of customers. These alternate sources are now being fully utilized, so we ask consumers to also reinforce this effort by using water wisely,” Maynilad Corporate Communications head Jennifer Rufo said.

“We are also calling on our customers to continue practicing responsible use of water, avoid water wastage and seize opportunities to reuse,” Galang said.

As of Thursday, Angat’s water level is 187.13 meters, lower than the 187.65 meters recorded a day ago, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

The current level is below the normal or comfortable water level of 212 meters yet far from the minimum operating level of 180 meters.