MWSS: Water supply in Metro Manila 'enough' despite increased demand, lower dam water level

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) on Tuesday said there is enough water supply in Metro Manila despite the increased demand and reduced water level of dams amid the summer season.

In Cedric Castillo’s report on “24 Oras”, MWSS Manager for Field Operations Jose Escoto Jr. said the water level at the country’s dams remains under normal levels and that the service interruptions being experienced in parts of the National Capital Region are due to maintenance repair works.

“Yung dam levels naman po natin nasa normal levels. ‘Pag kinumpara natin mga dam levels ngayon sa dam levels last year, mas mataas pa po yung levels ng dams natin,” he added.

(Our current dam levels are still normal. If we compare it to last year, our water levels this year are better.)

Escoto, however, said the MWSS requested additional water supply from Angat Dam from the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) in anticipation of the continuous lowering of the water level of the La Mesa Dam.

“Ina-anticipate natin na La Mesa Dam will go down further. So ‘yan po para hindi natin ma-repeat yung event noong 2019… We decided to request in advance itong filling up,” he added.

(We’re anticipating the water level in La Mesa Dam to plunge further. So we can prevent a repetition of what happened in 2019, we requested to have it filled up in advance.) 

State weather bureau PAGASA previously warned of below-normal rainfall in the country due to the possible effect of the El Niño phenomenon, which is likely to begin after June.

Meanwhile, former MWSS Chairperson and NWRB Executive Director Dondi Alikpala said the government should brace for the summer season in 2024.

“Ang nakakatakot pag dating September, tinamaan tayo ng El Niño, hindi dumating ang ulan. Ang concern natin hindi itong summer na ito. Ang concern natin, yung summer next year,” he said.

(We should be worried about summer next year because there might be no rain in September.)

Albay Representative Joey Salceda, chairperson of House Committee on Ways and Means, continued to rally for the passage of a proposed measure that would create a Department of Water Resources in order to ensure the establishment of infrastructure for water conservation.

The House sent the Department of Water Resources Bill to the Senate.

“Literally, we cannot hold water. What we need is to build dams. And we have not built a single dam. The last was in the 1990s,” Salceda said. —Sundy Locus/ VAL, GMA Integrated News