"The two water concessionaires are taking proactive measures to mitigate water supply reduction."
"The two water concessionaires are taking proactive measures to mitigate water supply reduction."
We’ve written about it in past columns, and we’re focusing on it once again to emphasize its importance. With the national government focusing on alleged onerous contracts entered into by the two water concessionaires in Metro Manila, it appears to be a classic case of the tail wagging the dog, with the bigger—and more serious problem—of putting in place an alternative water source for 16.5 million city residents relegated to the background.
Here’s what we have gathered on this issue.
Angat Dam alone supplies 97percent of the water needs of Metro Manila. With the exponential growth of the urban population, so have their water needs expanded. Along with this, climate change and global warming have led to erratic weather patterns, including unpredictable rainfall. Insufficient rainfall led to last summer’s water supply disruptions and rationing.
The water supply problem is not new. It was in 1997, or more than two decades ago, that the Ramos administration deemed it necessary to conclude concession agreements with Maynilad Water Services and Manila Water to deal with dwindling water supply. As far back as the Marcos era in the 1970s, the national government had already drawn up plans to find an alternative source to meet the demands of a growing urban population, but these were not implemented for one reason or another.
We understand that Angat Dam’s maximum supply capacity is 4,000 million liters per day. Maynilad and Manila Water both rely on whatever water volume from the dam that can be supplied to them by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), which is dependent on whatever volume is released to it on a daily basis by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
The two concessionaires also draw water from Laguna de Bay and during emergencies are allowed by the NWRB to extract water from deep wells. But the combined volume obtained from these extra sources is minimal and cannot offset any major supply deficit from Angat Dam.
The MWSS has admitted that the government is partly to blame for last summer’s water shortage because of its failure to do what had been planned in the 1970s yet, which was to build an alternative reservoir to augment Angat Dam’s supply. Hence, President Duterte now wants the government to build the Kaliwa Dam as the national capital’s alternate water supply reservoir. But it would take four to five years to build the Kaliwa Dam, which would cost P12.2 billion. In other words, Metro Manila’s water crisis would get worse before relief comes only after six years.
Recently, the MWSS revealed Angat Dam’s water supply can no longer meet the demand of Metro Manila between 2020 and 2025. Hence, the urgent need to construct the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project as soon as possible.
Here’s what the MWSS said: “The water demand analysis used for the planning of Kaliwa Dam showed that the water supply capacity from Angat reservoir and some other smaller sources will not be sufficient to satisfy the water demand of Metro Manila between 2020 and 2025. Taking into account a supply buffer of 15 percent, the Angat supply capacity will be insufficient before 2020. These numbers illustrate the need for a large water supply source.”
“The national government’s effort to see this project implemented is clear, with only one moving vision—to increase the available drinking water to Metro Manila in the short term because of the projected supply deficit,” the agency pointed out.
Before MWSS made this big revelation about inadequate water, the NWRB had already raised the possibility of continued water supply interruptions until the summer months because of the below-normal water level at Angat Dam. Despite the continuous rains last quarter, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced that Angat Dam’s water level peaked at 201.71 meters last week, or far below the ideal yearend level target of 212 meters. Due to the lower-than-expected water volume, NWRB will continue managing water releases.
While the government tries to speed up the construction of Kaliwa Dam to meet Metro Manila’s water needs, the two water concessionaires are taking proactive measures to mitigate water supply reduction.
For instance, Maynilad completed last year its Putatan 2 Water Treatment Plant (WTP) as well as the upgrade of its Putatan WTP 1 in Muntinlupa City. These will contribute a combined 60 MLD of water, and next month it will complete its NRW (non-revenue water) or leakage reduction program, which will add another 94 MLD. Last December, Maynilad finished reactivating deep wells to supply another 94 MLD.
Apart from these, Maynilad will deploy mobile water tankers, and undertake other activities like cloud seeding and rainwater harvesting, to assist customers with their water needs. This is part of the water concessionaire’s decision to invest a total of P25 billion in non-revenue water management in the past 12 years.
ernhil@yahoo.com
