MWSS cuts water pressure for NCR

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System has decreased water pressure for the National Capital Region (NCR) amid the continued decline in the elevation of Angat Dam as its level reached 197.58 meters, MWSS officials said yesterday.

In a message to The STAR, MWSS division manager Patrick Dizon said the water pressure for domestic use was down to three pounds per square inch from the previous seven psi.

Maynilad corporate communications head Jennifer Rufo assured customers that they would not feel the decrease in water pressure.

“We only do alternating pressure management across our concession and since this is during off-peak hours, it is not felt by customers,” Rufo told The STAR.

Dizon said that the drop in water pressure is one of the management strategies implemented by the MWSS to preserve the elevation of Angat Dam.

“What we are doing is to decrease the pressure of water for our customers. It will not result in water interruption,” he said.

Dizon added that the National Water Resources Board has maintained the 50 cubic meters per second (cms) for Maynilad and Manila Water.

“We maintained our normal water allocation of 50 cms, that’s around 4.2 billion liters of water daily,” he added.

As of 6 a.m. yesterday, the water level of Angat Dam was down by 0.29 meters compared to its previous level of 197.87 meters. It was 14.2 meters less compared to its normal high water level of 212 meters.

Dizon said that the Angat Technical Working Group will meet to discuss the water allocation for Metro Manila in May.

“We are banking on the forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration if there will be rains in the watersheds,” he added.

No rationing… yet

At the same time, Dizon assured the public that there is still no plan to implement water rationing despite the drop in the water level of Angat Dam.

“At present, no areas were identified that can be affected by the water rationing. If rains come by May and June, we can prevent possible reduction in the water allocation,” he added.

Dizon admitted that should the water level of Angat significantly decrease this month, the reduction in water allocation for the NCR is inevitable.

“The MWSS, together with the Angat Technical Working Group, is working on various strategies to prevent the significant drop in water level of the reservoir as once the drop of the water is significant by end of April, we will be forced to cut the water allocation for Metro Manila,” he added.

He said that the call for water conservation measures covers residential areas as well as commercial and industrial establishments.

Environment Undersecretary Carlos David has warned of possible water rationing if residents, particularly in Metro Manila, do not practice conservation measures amid the impact of the El Niño phenomenon and the dry season.

David said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources could guarantee an uninterrupted water supply in Metro Manila only until April as the water level in Angat Dam continues to decline.