Manila Water Company Inc. (MWC) underscored the need to develop new water sources to protect more than 15 million people in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces.
“While Metro Manilans get a reprieve because of Angat Dam breaching the targeted year-end level of 212 meters, we cannot remain complacent as the impact of a scorching El Nino still looms for next year,” MWC said in a statement.
“We cannot thus put all our eggs in one basket which tells us that the development of new water sources is a pressing need to reduce our over-dependence on Angat Dam for the water supply for a megacity of 15 million people,” it said.
The company said that in early November, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and its two concessionaires announced the repair and rehabilitation of Angat Dam, in particular the hydroelectric components of its intake facility which transports water to the La Mesa treatment facilities and the Balara treatment plants.
MWC said there was no rehabilitation since the dam began its operation in 1967. The shutdown necessitated the opening of the low-level outlet of the dam to make sure the dam continues to supply raw water to both concessionaires steadily.
“Past experiences remind us that the low-level outlet was usually opened when the water level at the dam was critically low which may potentially result in water quality issues. With this recent event, the call to develop new water sources cannot be overemphasized at this point. Doing so will ensure sufficient and safe supply of water in the coming years,” MWC said.
It said no less than the MWSS recognized this need and developed a water source roadmap to provide sustainable water supply for the increasing population and urbanization in Metro Manila and the adjacent provinces of Rizal, Bulacan and Cavite.
The MWSS Water Security Legacy Roadmap aims to mobilize collaborative efforts among Manila Water and the other concessionaires as well as different stakeholder groups to address critical water woes in Metro Manila.
The roadmap seeks to develop robust plans and long-term solutions to benefit the growing customer base.
The MWSS identified major water source projects, including the Kaliwa Dam which is now 25-percent complete and is expected to augment the water supply of the metropolis and serve as a much-needed redundancy to the aging Angat Dam, adding 600 million liters per day of water supply by 2026.
Manila Water made public its 2023-2027 service improvement plan involving an investment of P181 billion to continuously meet its service obligations and the demands of its growing customer base.
Manila Water said its plan to achieve water security includes searching and developing alternative water sources to be able to meet the ever-increasing demand in their service area.
The company has an ongoing undertaking with the MWSS and the National Water Resources Board to develop new water sources through its proposed four-water system master plan that includes Angat-La Mesa Water System (Sumag River-Umiray Angat), Laguna Lake Water System (East Bay Water Source), Antipolo Water System (Wawa-Calawis), and East Sources Water System (Kaliwa and Long-term East Sources).