Manila Water assures 24/7 supply amid lower Angat allocation

East zone concessionaire Manila Water Company on Tuesday assured its customers of uninterrupted 24/7 water service and normal water pressure despite the ongoing effects of El Niño and the reduced water allocation from Angat Dam in Bulacan.

In an advisory, Manila Water said it has developed alternative water sources, including the Upper Wawa Dam and the Tayabasan Weir, which can deliver up to 710 million liters per day.

This volume is on top of the additional supply from the Calawis Water Supply System Phase 1, which can provide up to 80 million liters daily, Manila Water said.

The company also operates treatment facilities that draw water from Laguna Lake, including the Cardona Water Treatment Plant, which can produce up to 110 million liters per day, and the East Bay Phase 1 Treatment Plant, which has a capacity of 50 million liters per day.

This came after the National Water Resources Board lowered Manila Water’s allocation from Angat Dam to 48 cubic meters per second (cms) from the usual 52 cms, as the dam’s water level nears the critical mark of 160 meters.

“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 Communications 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.

Among Manila Water’s upcoming projects are the Kasakay Project in Antipolo City, which is expected to add 220 million liters per day upon completion in October, and the East Bay Phase 2 Water Supply Project in Taytay, Rizal, which will contribute another 200 million liters daily once commissioned in September.

The Razon-led firm holds the exclusive right to provide water and wastewater services in the east zone of the franchise area of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, covering 23 cities and municipalities in Metro Manila and Rizal.

These include Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig, Pateros, San Juan, Taguig, Marikina, and parts of Quezon City and Manila, as well as the Rizal towns of Angono, Baras, Binangonan, Cainta, Cardona, Jalajala, Morong, Pililla, Rodriguez, Tanay, Taytay, Teresa, San Mateo, and Antipolo.—MCG, GMA News