There have already been a few announcements about the water outage in different cities in Metro Manila, and many are still struggling with it as it continues.
Manila Water has already given a statement about the outage, saying that the low water supply of La Mesa Dam plays a factor in why operational adjustments need to be made. Many of those who have water have also mentioned that the pressure is very low.
— Manila Water (@ManilaWaterPH) March 8, 2019
Ever since CNN Philippines released a photo showing that the Angat Dam still has normal water levels and can actually still supply Metro Manila with water for the next few months, people have been questioning the sudden water outage. 96% of Metro Manila’s water supply comes from Angat Dam and is connected to the La Mesa water reservoir in Quezon City.
Manila Water Chief Operating Officer Geodino Carpio explains that the problem lies in supply and demand. He says that the supply is running low while the demand has increased. Aside from El Niño, a conveyor in Angat can carry 1.6 billion liters per day through Manila Water, but the demand has increased to 1.7 billion liters per day.
Though La Mesa Dam’s water is now at a 12-year low, Carpio says that there are also delays in infrastructure programs that could’ve helped the situation. He says that there is a project in Rizal where they can get 100 million liters of water to help the increase in water demand.
Kaliwa Dam, which will be located in Infanta, Quezon, is also currently in the works. This is actually quite a controversial topic because the local government of Infanta does not have a permit. According to Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Administrator Reynaldo Velasco, the dam is now in its final engineering design stage despite woes about the environmental impact in the area.
Though there is news that the outage will last until August, Carpio says there is no definite date as to when normal operations will be restored. He adds, “Throughout the summer, we will have below normal conditions.”
According to DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra, customers can sue Manila Water for these water interruptions. He adds that if there is negligence, a customer can file a civil complaint. Presidential Spokesperson Panelo also says that there might be a chance that it can be an “artificial” water shortage. More than 1 million customers are affected by the outage and netizens have been very vocal about their feelings about this interruption.
Are you affected by the outage? Where do you get your water supply? Let us know in the comments section!
