MANILA -- The record-low level in Angat Dam, the capital's main water reservoir, has finally caught up with millions of residents of Metro Manila as the Maynilad Water Services Inc. implemented supply cuts until July 23.
In a statement, Maynilad said the disruptions in water supply started Friday in various barangays in 11 cities and in Cavite after it received a 30-percent supply cut from the dam.
"Since February this year, our water allocation from Angat Dam has been steadily reduced because of El Niño... For the month of July, our allocation has been cut by 30 percent and as a result, around 46 percent of our customer base has experienced reduced water pressure," the statement said.
As of 6 a.m. Saturday, water level in Angat Dam is at 157.68 meters, 0.06 meter higher than the historic low of 157.62 meters recorded last Thursday.
With this, Maynilad said a total of 46 barangays in Quezon City, Caloocan, Malabon, Valenzuela, Las Piñas, and Navotas have been "severely affected" by the water supply reduction.
In a separate interview, Maynilad spokesperson Cherubim Ocampo said that among those severely affected by the water shortage are 22 barangays in Quezon City, 13 in Caloocan, four in Malabon, four in Valenzuela, two in Las Piñas, and a barangay in Navotas City.
"We have been doing extraordinary measures to address the problem. We have deployed 28 water tankers to affected areas to supply water. This service is for free but those who want to avail need to present proof that they are customers of Maynilad," she said.
Jeric Sevilla, spokesperson for east zone concessionaire Manila Water Co. Inc., said that its customer base need not worry of possible water reduction schemes.
"We have enough water supply as of the moment," he said in a radio interview Saturday.
Sevilla said representatives from the water concessionaires, the National Water Resources Board, and the Philippine Atmospheric Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), hold weekly meetings to monitor the situation in the dam.
Water supply has been reduced to 32 cubic meters per second from 33 cubic meters since July 9.
The Angat Dam in Bulacan supplies 97 percent of the capital's water needs but government officials shrugged off claims of water crisis despite the below-critical status of the dam.
The critical level of the dam is at 160 meters as it continues to recede due to insufficient rainfall it gets even with the onset of the typhoon season.
Pagasa earlier said it would take at least three storms or equivalent to 600 millimeters of rainfall will be needed to bring it back to its normal level of 181 meters.
Maynilad's concession area in Metro Manila covers the cities of Manila (all except portions of San Andres and Santa Ana), Quezon City (west of San Juan River, West Avenue, Edsa, Congressional, Mindanao Avenue, the northern part starting from the districts of the Holy Spirit and Batasan Hills), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon.
Maynilad also serves the municipalities of Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario in Cavite province. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)