Residents in Metro Manila should not worry about the recent water cuts, as the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) assured that the Angat Dam levels periodically drop during the dry season.

Ricky Arzadon, the NWRB officer-in-charge, said that their decision to bring down the water allocation of 50 cubic meters per second (cms) to 48 cms is normal since the country is feeling the effects of El Niño.

As of Wednesday, March 20, the elevation of Angat Dam reached 201.01 meters (m), nearly 40 meters away from its critical level, hence the lowered water allotment for the two Metro Manila concessionaires.

“We don’t need [Angat] to reach its minimum operating level, which is 160 m. This is what we’re trying to avoid, otherwise we will be challenged,” Arzadon told reporters.

To put the public’s mind at ease about the lowered share of water, the NWRB chief reassured that water interruptions will be manageable and will only happen during the off-peak hours, minimizing inconvenience to households.

“Based on the projections of MWSS, the projections of The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration [PAGASA], and even the NWRB, we don’t see any water crisis happening [in the future],” he added.

Furthermore, MWSS Administrator Leonor C. Cleofas emphasized to the public that the water supply in Angat will soon be replenished by the rainy season.

“El Niño is now weakening, and we’re transitioning to La Niña by June… We stock up in our reservoirs to ensure supply during the dry season. What we’re only doing now is managing the elevation of Angat,” she explained.

Cleofas also said that the utilization of the dam is not only for household and commercial use but is also needed for irrigation, therefore urging consumers to diligently save water during the summer.

“The domestic sector is not the only one benefitting [from Angat], but also farmers who rely on its water supply.”

Maynilad lessens the burden with new treatment plant

To lessen reliance on the large dams in the North like Angat and La Mesa, Maynilad Water Services, Inc. inaugurated a new water treatment plant (WTP) located in Muntinlupa.

The Laguna Lake Modular Water Treatment Plant will have a capacity of 20 million liters per day (MLD) which would benefit 50,000 consumers residing in Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque, and some parts of Cavite.

The plant was designed to source directly from Laguna Water and rehabilitate its supply, improving service reliability. Additionally, this would lessen maintenance and lower energy as well as chemical consumptions which would pose a positive environmental and cost-effective impact.

Ronald Padua, Maynilad’s vice president and head of water supply operations, shared how the facility would sustain quality water service in the south amid growing issues on raw water quality.

“This available water added into the system would minimize the influence of North water plants like La Mesa, and then we won’t need large volumes of water [from them],” he elaborated.

Padua also said that Maynilad is prepared to avoid any drastic service interruptions in case the NWRB deducts lower water allocation.

The build-to-operate-transfer budget of the WTP is valued at P650 million.