MANILA, Philippines — Saying the release of water from Angat Dam is being managed, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has assured the public of sufficient water supply this coming summer.
MWSS division manager Patrick Dizon said the water level in the dam and augmentation measures being implemented are enough to ensure an uninterrupted supply in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
“This summer we can assure the public that our water supply will be sufficient,” Dizon said.
He said any water interruption could be due only to leak repair, plant or pump station manintenance as well as meter replacement.
He said the Angat technical working group, which is led by the National Water Resources Board with the MWSS, National Irrigation Authority and Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration as members, is managing water release from the dam.
“Based on historical trend, every summer the elevation of the reservoir decreases, so we want to prevent the dam from reaching its critical level,” Dizon said.
As of 6 a.m. yesterday, the water level in Angat Dam was recorded at 213.34 meters or .11 meters lower compared to its previous level of 213.45 meters.
The water level is still above its normal high of 212 meters.
Dizon said the MWSS has implemented augmentation measures to ensure additional water sources as early as last year.
He cited the ongoing construction of water treatment plants in areas surrounding Laguna de Bay.
Dizon said President Marcos led the inauguration of one of the water treatment plants in December.
The other treatment plant in Pakil, Laguna is set to be inaugurated within the month or the first quarter of this year.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources had earlier said water supply from Angat Dam would be enough until the middle of this year unless the El Niño phenomenon intensifies.
Angat Dam supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water needs. It also provides for the irrigation needs of 25,000 hectares of rice fields in Bulacan and parts of Pampanga.