Two Metro firms warn of water crisis

A water crisis similar to the one that forced Metro Manila to rely on water rationing in 1997 could be repeated if the El Niño phenomenon hits the country early.

The warning was issued by top officials of Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. – the two water distribution concessionaires providing service to the metropolis.

Manila Water corporate communications director Joel Lacsamana said the worst-case scenario would be for the utility firm’s daily output to drop below the 1,650 million megaliters provided by the Angat and La Mesa dams.

"We are, however, preparing contingency measures to cushion the impact of El Niño," Lacsamana told the weekly Ciudad Fernandina Forum in Greenhills, San Juan.

The El Niño phenomenon has not set in the Philippines despite the higher than normal temperatures prevailing in the country. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said El Niño will be felt only at the end of this year and prevail till next year.

"We just hope that the El Niño does not come early," Lacsamana said.

This early, however, several provinces are beginning to reel from the initial effects of a dry spell, including Batangas, Cagayan, Kalinga, Mindoro, Nueva Ecija, Palawan, Pangasinan and South Cotabato.

Maynilad assistance vice president Francisco Arellano said the water firm is preparing several contingency measures, including the rehabilitation of aging water pipes and the digging of deep wells that will serve as backup in case the water supply drops further.

The two concessionaires said they are also implementing measures to prevent losses caused by leaks and pilferage.

"We are working to cut down on commercial and physical losses that eat up to 50 percent of the daily water supply," Lacsamana said.

In 1997, most residents of Metro Manila had to endure water rationing under an eight-hour rotation schedule due to a shortage of supply.

The government privatized the cash-strapped Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) in 1997, granting Maynilad and Manila Water authority to operate water distribution services in the western and eastern portions of Metro Manila, respectively.

Metro water safe — DOH

Metro Manilans need not worry about the safety or potability of water from their faucets distributed by the two private water concessionaires, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

In the latest water testing of samples collected last month from the more than 1,000 regular points of the Maynilad and Manila Water distribution systems showed that they have satisfactorily complied with bacteriological requirements of the Philippine National Standard for Drinking Water (PNSDW).

This was reported recently by the Metro Manila Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee (MMDWQMC), which conducts a regular monthly water monitoring and testing of water in the metropolis.

The committee is composed of representatives from the Department of Health (DOH)-Center for Health Development for Metro Manila, DOH-National Center for Health Facility Development, Manila Health Department-Public Health Laboratory, Marikina Clean Food Laboratory, the health departments of Makati, Pasay and Parañaque cities, Las Piñas Integrated District Hospital Laboratory, Environmental Management Bureau, MWSS regulatory office, MWSI and the MWCI.

The committee report also showed that the physical and chemical characteristics such as pH, color, taste, odor turbidity, chloride, iron, hardness, total dissolved solids, sulfate, fluoride, calcium and magnesium were also found to have compiled with the PNSDW requirements.

The average residual chlorine, the report further added, is 0.70 parts per million for the east service area and 1.15 ppm for the west service area.

The PNSDW requires at least 0.2 ppm residual chlorine from the farthest point of the distribution system.

Based on these findings, the committee said that drinking water in the MWSS distribution system was of sanitary quality with adequate residual chlorine.

The monthly water testings, engineer Cogie Vidad of the MMDWQMC said, serve as a check and balance or validate the results of the two concessionaires’ own regular water samplings.

If water samples are found positive of any contamination, like fecal coliform or total coliform, Vidad assured that the concessionaires are immediately notified so they can promptly undertake immediate necessary actions.

Contaminations are often local or within the sampling site only, she said. – With PNA report