In a statement, Maynilad said Napocor unilaterally decided to reduce the raw water supply from Angat Dam, severely affecting the water output of its La Mesa Treatment Plants One and Two.
"The result is low water to no water pressure for our customers, especially in the elevated areas of the West Zone concession," Maynilad noted.
According to the water firm, the sudden reduction of the raw water allocation for Metro Manila by Napocor caught them by surprise since no decision has been reached as of press time for a reduction of the normal allocation of 41 cubic meters per second to 39 cubic meters per second.
Some 97 percent of Metro Manila’s raw water supply comes from Angat Dam, which is owned and operated by Napocor.
"In the previous meetings...the raw water allocation for Metro Manila was supposed to remain at 41 cubic meters per second for November and December, and will be reduced to 39 cubic meters per second only in January," Maynilad pointed out.
"This arrangement would have spared residents of Metro Manila the inconvenience of having less or no water during the holiday season," it added.
The earlier meetings were attended by representatives from the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), which allocates the use of water from Angat Dam, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Napocor, National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Maynilad, and East Zone concession-holder Manila Water.
The reduced raw water supply decreased Maynilad’s treatment plants’ production output from an average of 2,230 million liters per day (MLD) to 1,970 MLD as of 8 a.m. yesterday, or a difference of 260 MLD.
According to Rodrigo Yabut, head of Maynilad’s water network department, a reduction of 260 MLD means that approximately 120,000 households or about 1.2 million people would have less or no water, particularly those living in elevated areas and in the northern and central parts of the West Zone.
"We can’t understand why Napocor has reduced the raw water releases from Angat Dam when in fact the Angat Dam water level has been rising significantly since Nov. 12 due to the rains brought about by typhoon Queenie," said Diosdado Samia, head of Maynilad’s water production department.
Samia noted that from 194.98 meters last Nov. 11, the water level in Angat Dam has increased to 201.54 meters as of 6 a.m. yesterday.
Previously, the MWSS has announced an impending water shortage due to the decreasing water level at the Angat Dam, even to the point of reaching 192.80 meters, the lowest recorded water level this year.
MWSS Administrator Orlando Hondrade said the registered water level at the dam is way below the elevation of 202 meters recorded and expected during the months of September and October or at the onset of the southwest monsoon.
Nevertheless, in view of the reduced raw water supply, Maynilad has put in place countermeasures, including fielding water tankers, setting up of stationary water tanks, valve adjustment, intensified leak repair and disconnecting illegal connections, and repair and replacement of old pipes.
Maynilad also advised its customers to practice water conservation, and to stand by for further announcements.
"We are doing everything to mitigate the effects of the reduced raw water supply and to have (Napocor) restore the normal releases to Metro Manila," Maynilad said.