(Updated) Parts of Quezon City waterless as pumping station is shut down

(Updated 3:30PM) - A Balara, Quezon City water pumping station has been shut down, rendering parts of that city waterless. Parts of Project 6, Teachers’ and Sikatuna Villages, and areas in Tandang Sora, Barangay Central, and Piñahan are currently without water service, a spokesperson of Manila Water Co. Inc. (MWCI) told GMANews.TV in a text message. However, the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, located just beside the company’s pumping facility, is unaffected by the shutdown, Jeric Sevilla, MWCI’s corporate communications head said. No exact time has been set regarding water service resumption in the affected areas. The company, which distributes water in Metro Manila’s east zone, is just waiting for floodwaters to recede, Sevilla added. Company engineers decided to temporarily turn off the facility at 1:05 PM on Saturday “to prevent damage to the pumps and motors of the facility [which is] located at a lower elevation." In the meantime, the Manila Electric Co., Metro Manila’s lone electricity distributor, clarified that it has temporarily cut off power in certain areas for the safety of its residents. Electricity service has been cut off in areas all around Metro Manila that have been affected by flooding, Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco’s corporate communications officer told GMANews.TV. These areas include Novaliches in Quezon City and Marikina and Cainta in Rizal. Power has been shut down to prevent residents from being electrocuted, he said. - RJAB, Jr., GMANews.TV