Water concessionaire Maynilad has advised the public to be ready for possible water interruptions in the coming dry season and the threat of an El Nino phenomenon.
Maynilad said it will post possible water interruptions on its social media accounts, and Corporate Communications Head Jennifer Rufo also said the firm is expecting the water reservoirs on dams to dip, with fewer rain showers expected in the coming dry season.
Maynilad, however, said the supply of water from Angat Dam remains “good,” while noting that the water level at Ipo Dam has slightly dipped.
Maynilad also said several Metro Manila and Cavite areas experienced water service interruptions or low pressure on Saturday due to high water demand at the Bagbag Reservoir, GMA News reported.
Among the areas that were affected were parts of Caloocan, Manila, Malabon, Makati, Quezon City, Parañaque City, and Pasay City.
The affected Cavite areas were Bacoor, Imus, Novoleta, Rosario, and Kawit.
The service interruption started at 10 a.m. and would resume by 10 p.m. on Saturday, Maynilad said.
“The water level of our main reservoir dropped faster than anticipatedfollowing stronger withdrawal, likely due to the summer heat as more water is consumed,” the firm, quoted by GMA News, said.
“We issued the emergency advisory to avert a longer service interruption if the reservoir is allowed to become fully depleted. Mobile water tankers were deployed to augment supplies meantime,” the company added.
Following the end of La Niña or increased rainfall due tolower-than-normal air pressure over the western Pacific, the Philippines is now bracing for the possible El Niño phenomenon, which the weather bureau expects to start in June.
“We expect below average rainfall conditions, so the weather will be hot. Maybe the weather will get even hotter because there is no weather system that will give us rain,” Rufo said.
Currently, the water level in Angat, Ipo, and La Mesa Dams are slightly below normal.
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), meanwhile,said the water level in Angat Dam would not reach critical levels during the summer.
Engineer Jose Dorado Jr., MWSS deputy administrator for engineering and technical operations group, said from their simulation on March 12, Angat Dam water levels will reach 184 meters by the end of July.
“Our minimum operating level is 180 meters, so we are still four meters higher if the trend of the curve simulated for the supply for the Angat reservoir continues,” Dorado said.