MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has allocated more than P500 million to continuously improve Angat Dam, Metro Manila’s water source, following recent earthquakes that rocked several parts of the country.
MWSS administrator Reynaldo Velasco said K-Water Resources Corp. and Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Corp. have concluded the Angat Dam and Dyke Strengthening Project to ensure the structural integrity of the dam to withstand a possible magnitude 7.2 quake.
Major projects have been undertaken such as flood forecasting and warning system on dam operation amounting to P261 million and the flood control protection works worth P292 million.
The completed P553-million project is under the Angat Dam and Dyke Strengthening Project which is also part of the MWSS water security roadmap.
“We have to be aggressive in putting on track our disaster preparedness program as well as in developing dependable alternative new water sources since 96 percent is supplied by Angat Dam,” Velasco said.
Further, Velasco emphasized the need for a pragmatic and doable water security plan to cushion the effect of an earthquake that could potentially damage Angat Dam which serves Metro Manila and the neighbouring provinces of Rizal and Cavite.
“The need for a new water security plan is now a major concern of the government, more so for the Philippines with growth centers like Metro Manila that greatly depend on one water source like Angat Dam,” he said.
In a joint meeting between the National Disasters Risk Reduction and Management Council and Earthquake Resiliency Team for the Water Sector, a total of 109 existing deep wells were identified that could be re-activated in case of disaster.
To ensure water potability, regular maintenance check-up is to be conducted.
A memorandum of agreement among the MWSS, the concessionaires, and the National Water Resources Board was signed for the conduct of periodic monitoring of water quality.
In case of a disaster, there are nine available mobile water treatment plants, 43 static water tanks, and 79 mobile water tankers that can be deployed. There are also 64 water reservoirs with a total capacity of 1,222 million liters per day (MLD) of water.
The Maynilad facility reservoirs have a 711 MLD capacity, while that of Manila Water is 511 MLD.
MWSS has also crafted a water security roadmap that will provide potable and sustainable water supply in the next years at an increase of at least 1,518 MLD by 2022.
Being fast tracked under the new water security roadmap are the 150 MLD Putatan, 100 MLD Cardona, 188 MLD Sumag, 50 MLD Rizal Wellfield, 80 MLD Calawis Wawa, 100 MLD Putatan 3, and 250 MLD Lower Ipo.
There is also the 600 MLD Kaliwa Dam project which is expected to be completed in 2023.
Being eyed as medium-term water source projects from 2023 to 2027 are the 420 MLD Wawa Dam, 250 MLD East Bay, 350 MLD Bayabas Dam, 550 MLD Angat Norzagaray Phase 2, 250 MLD East Bay, 750 MLD Sierra Madre, and 1,800 MLD Kanan River Phase 1.
To complement the New Water Security Roadmap 2019 to 2022, Velasco said there is an urgent need to fast track the completion of Aqueduct 6 and Tunnel 4 which are expected to be operationalized by January 2020.
MWSS also expects to complete by June 2022 Aqueduct 7 and Tunnel 5, which are now on stream to provide another 1,600 MLD to flow towards La Mesa.