‘Water-proofing’ our future
Amid fears of the long dry period to persist due to the El Niño phenomenon, residents like us in Metro Manila can heave a sigh of relief for now. The water level in Angat Dam reached more than 213 meters on Friday. Despite breaching the targeted year-end level of 212 meters, we cannot remain complacent, due to the scorching El Niño that is expected to linger until the first half of next year.
Thus, we cannot rely only on Angat Dam as the main source of potable water for a megacity like Metro Manila with 15 million people. There is certainly a crying need for the development of new water sources to reduce our overdependence on Angat Dam.
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) assuaged the public over the weekend that Metro Manila is ready for the possible impact of El Niño, which is projected to cause severe drought by the first half of 2024. The MWSS further said the various mitigating and augmentation measures that were already completed would suffice.
In early November, MWSS announced the repair and rehabilitation of Angat Dam, in particular the hydroelectric components of its intake facility. Naturally, the two MWSS concessionaires, the Manila Water Services and the Maynilad Services Inc., jointly participated in the Angat Dam rehab project. The intake facility transports water to the West Zone concessionaire Maynilad and to the East Zone water concessionaire, Manila Water.
There has been no rehabilitation since the Angat Dam began its operation in 1967.
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. The MWSS has long recognized this need and developed a water source roadmap that will 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 seeks to mobilize collaborative efforts among Manila Water, Maynilad and other stakeholders to address critical water woes in Metro Manila. The roadmap sets to develop robust plans and long-term solutions to benefit the growing customer base.
With this roadmap, MWSS
