WATER from Angat Dam is the primary source of water supply for residents of Metro Manila.
90% of households rely on it daily, including residents of Rizal, parts of Cavite, and Bulacan.
However, due to the severe effects of the El Niño phenomenon in our country, the water level in the dam is rapidly decreasing.
From its normal high water level of 212 meters, it has consistently dropped to reach the minimum operating level of 180 meters.
But according to the latest data from PAGASA as of six o’clock in the morning on Thursday, it has fallen below the minimum operating level to 179.68 meters.
Because of this, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has intensified their mitigating measures to ensure an adequate water supply.
MWSS will reduce water pressure twice.
This means a decrease in the water supply coming out of household faucets.
This will start from twelve noon to four in the afternoon, followed by another round from ten in the evening to four in the morning.
Residents of Quezon City and Manila will be affected by the reduced water supply.
“The water on the second floor of our houses, if you have one, will still reach, there will still be water coming out or the pressure will still be strong on the second floor. But when we implement pressure management, we will reduce it by around 3 PSI so the water on your second floor will be weaker,” Engr. Patrick James Dizon, Manager, MWSS-Water & Sewerage Management stated.
However, this does not mean that residents of Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces will completely lose their water supply.
“We are doing this to preserve the remaining water in our reservoir since there is still no rain,” Dizon said.
Despite the continuous decline in the water level at Angat Dam, the allocation for the concessionaires Maynilad and Manila water remains at 52 cubic meters per second (CMS).
MWSS has borrowed 3 CMS of water allocation intended for irrigation or agriculture.
According to MWSS, this was agreed upon with the irrigators association as the harvest season is ending.
However, MWSS is still supporting the farmers by providing assistance.
“We will provide assistance to our farmlands or irrigator association just like giving them fuel subsidies. We provided around 500 shallow tube wells to be used in their farms,” Dizon stressed.
