METRO Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) executives discuss mitigation plans for the projected super El Niño this year. (Tara Yap)
ILOILO CITY – Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) has stepped up mitigation plans to ensure enough water supply as a super El Niño was projected this year.
“We have assessed every possible supply scenario and prepared a response for each one,” said MPIW Chief Operating Officer David Berba in a press briefing on Wednesday, May 20.
Engr. Jedd Allen Roxas noted that MPIW has scenarios for mild, moderate, strong, and super El Niño, which the State weather bureau said might occur in the last quarter of the year until early 2027.
Under normal conditions, MPIW can produce an average of 80.64 million liters per day (MLD) for consumers in Iloilo City as well as the towns of Leganes, Oton, Pavia, Santa Barbara, Cabatuan, and San Miguel.
But with the projected gradual rise in El Niño intensity, MPIW expects a significant drop in available water supply for consumers.
MPIW recorded its lowest production so far in May 2024 – 54.09 MLD, equivalent to one-third of its average MLD production.
Berba said that MPIW still has normal water supply from three major sources – 42 MLD from its water treatment plant in Santa Barbara, the 30 MLD from Flo Water Resources Iloilo Inc., and 3.4 MLD from its water treatment plant in Maasin town, Iloilo. Supply is also augmented by the Metro Iloilo Bulk Water Supply Corp. (MIB) treatment plant.
Among MPIW’s immediate actions against super El Nino are deployment of more than 20 water tankers; installation of onsite water tanks in affected communities; deployment of 24/7 engineering and monitoring teams, and continuous leak detection of pipes.
Marian Kristine Mesina of MPIW said they are targeting to complete ongoing pipeline projects by the fourth quarter of this year.
MPIW is a joint venture between government-owned Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) and Metro Pacific Water (MPW) led by tycoon Manny Pangilinan.