NWRB cuts MWSS water supply by 13%

The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) is reducing by as much as 13% the volume of water allotted daily to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System starting Wednesday.

“There will be reduction starting tomorrow to 40 cubic meters per second (cu.m/s),” NWRB Executive Director Sevillo David Jr. told GMA News Online on Tuesday.

The water supply to MWSS will be adjusted further once the water level at Angat Dam hits the critical 160 meters, David noted.

 As of 6 a.m. on Tuesday, the water level in the Angat reservoir measured 161.78 meters.

“Then to 36 cu.m/s, once we breached the 160 meter level,” David said.

Angat Dam supplies 96 percent of Metro Manila’s water requirement.

The adjustment will affect the supply of water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad Water, eventually impacting their respective service areas.

"Para ma-manage natin yung delikadong supply kasi patuloy na bumababa yung lebel sa Angat Dam,” David said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Tuesday.

David told GMA News Online they are already preparing to use Angat Dam's low level outlet to provide more water.

Aside from Manila Water and Maynilad, the Bulacan concessionaire will also be affected by the water allocation cut.

"Reduction in pressure and rotational interruptions is expected which will be announced in the soonest time possible by the concerned concessionaire,” David told GMA News Online.

The use of available deep wells, the augmentation of the water supply for Metro Manila, the continuation of cloud seeding, and a more intense campaign on water conservation are among the measures that several concerned agencies have agreed to implement to mitigate the impact of the declining water level in Angat Dam.

On Monday, David asked the public to save water to help ease the decline of water in Angat Dam. —Dona Magsino/VDS/BM, GMA News