Water firms expect buffers to be adequate ahead of El Niño

WATER CONCESSIONAIRES serving Metro Manila said they are ensuring they can tap water reserves ahead the onset of El Niño, as low water levels at Angat Dam led to the reduction of the water allocation for the capital.

Maynilad Water Services, Inc. and Manila Water Co., Inc. told customers that they expect their supply to be reliable after they took steps to build up their buffers.

Christopher Jaime T. Lichauco, chief operating officer of Maynilad, said the company has been preparing for El Niño, which brought Angat Dam to record low levels in 2019.

“The Maynilad system today has more buffers than it had in 2019. Angat Dam remains our main raw water source, but we now have more supplemental sources, lower water losses, expanded storage, and improved network management capabilities to help manage tighter raw water conditions,” he said in a statement.

Maynilad, which provides water and wastewater services to 10.5 million people in Metro Manila’s west zone, said it has expanded its water treatment capacity and diversified its sources of supply.

It added that its Laguna de Bay facilities now produce 450 million liters per day (MLD), while overall capacity has increased since 2019 through new plants, deep wells, and the NEW WATER program, which safely converts treated wastewater into drinking water.

The company has also improved storage and reduced water losses. Reservoir capacity has increased, with more projects underway, while efforts to cut non-revenue water have recovered significant volumes of supply.

“While the severity and duration of El Niño will ultimately depend on weather patterns and raw water availability, we will continue to implement appropriate measures to protect service reliability as conditions evolve,” Mr. Lichauco said.

Meanwhile, Manila Water assured its over 7.8 million customers in the east zone of 24/7 water supply even should Angat Dam cut its allocation further.

Manila Water said infrastructure investments have helped it reduce its dependence on Angat Dam. It can now tap Upper Wawa Dam and Tayabasan Weir, which can deliver up to 710 MLD. Both can serve as buffers when raw water supply is restricted.

The Calawis Water Supply System Phase 1 can also provide up to 80 MLD.

Beyond Angat Dam, Manila Water said it is delivering water from the Cardona Water Treatment Plant and the East Bay Phase 1 Treatment Plant, which draw water from Laguna de Bay.

“With these infrastructure investments to provide additional water supply in place, our customers can continue to enjoy 24/7 water service despite the lower allocation from Angat Dam brought about by the El Niño phenomenon,”  Manila Water Corporate Communication Group Head Dittie Galang said.

“The company is also continuing to enhance these efforts to secure water supply in the long term, with more water supply projects already in the pipeline,” she added.

The National Water Resources Board reduced the allocation to the service providers to 48 cubic meters per second (cms) from the usual 52 cms after the water level in Angat dropped below the critical level of 160 meters.

As of early Wednesday, the water level in Angat Dam decreased to 159.90 meters from 159.95 meters a day earlier. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera