THE water allocation for Metro Manila will be reduced to 48 cubic meters per second (cms) between April 16 and 31, according to the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
“For April 1 to 15, we will still maintain the 50 cms for MWSS… and then on April 16-31 (it) will be reduced,” NWRB Executive Director Ricky A. Arzadon told reporters on Wednesday.
Mr. Arzadon said that the reduced allocation was due to the infrequent rainfall resulting from El Niño.
The reduction was intended “to preserve and manage the distribution of water especially to Metro Manila,” he said.
He said, however, that the allocation may change depending on the elevation of the Angat Dam.
Angat Dam is the main source of water for National Capital Region (NCR), accounting for about 90% of the capital region’s potable water.
As of Wednesday morning, the water level in Angat Dam was 200.99 meters, lower than the 201.23-meter reading a day earlier.
Ronaldo Padua, head of water supply operations of Maynilad Water Services, Inc., told reporters separately that it was directed by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System to deploy static water tanks.
“Roughly around 129 static water tanks are deployed in (various) elevated areas,” he said.
Mr. Padua said that the company has been implementing pressure management measures during off-peak hours as part of its preparations to mitigate the impact of El Niño.
Meanwhile, as an additional source of water, a P650-million modular treatment plant, has been inaugurated in Putatan, Muntinlupa City. It is expected to produce 20 million liters per day.
Maynilad said that the new plant will help improve service reliability for its customers in the south.
The company said that the plant will treat raw water from Laguna de Bay using ceramic ultrafiltration technology, which it claims is the first such system for water treatment in the Philippines.
“Maynilad continues to adopt innovative solutions to meet the evolving water supply and treatment challenges, ensuring long-term resilience and sustainability,” Maynilad President and Chief Executive Officer Ramoncito S. Fernandez said.
“With this new facility, we are setting a milestone in municipal water treatment here in the Philippines, as we explore the potential of scaling similar technologies across other facilities,” he added.
The company serves Manila, except portions of San Andres and Sta. Ana. It also operates in Quezon City, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon.
It also supplies the cities of Cavite, Bacoor, and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario, all in Cavite province.
Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which has a majority stake in Maynilad, is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
