‘No water interruption until April 30’

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has assured Metro Manila residents of uninterrupted water supply until April 30 after the plan to decrease the water allocation starting April 16 was shelved as the water level in Angat Dam remained above 195 meters yesterday.

In a recent radio interview, Environment Undersecretary Carlos David said the DENR and its attached agency, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), have agreed that if the water elevation of Angat Dam will not breach 195 meters, the 50 cubic meters per second (cms) will be maintained until April 30.

“We have what we call a ‘checkpoint’ in the water level of Angat Dam as of April 10. If it is higher than 195 (meters), we will not decrease the water allocation; if it reaches below 195, we will decrease (water allocation for Metro Manila),” David added.

The NWRB manages the allocation of water from Angat Dam, which supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water needs and provides for the irrigation needs of 25,000 hectares of farmlands in Bulacan and Pampanga.

As of 6 a.m. yesterday, the water level of Angat Dam was 195.85 meters or still 0.85 meters above the elevation set by the DENR and NWRB.

David explained that the NWRB reviews the water elevation of Angat Dam every 15 days.

“We have a checkpoint every 15 days. We just would like to ask Metro Manila residents to do their part in water conservation,” he said.

The DENR official noted that efforts are being made to preserve the elevation of Angat Dam.

“Although, many did not notice, during the Holy Week, we decreased the allocation as most Metro Manila residents were outside of the city. We decreased (the water allocation from Angat Dam) by one cubic meter per second and aside from this, we also decreased the water pressure at night and at dawn. The water supply was not affected, but this is part of the conservation measures of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS),” he said.

A huge water leak occurred along South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) during Holy Week and concerned government agencies decided to immediately repair it despite the absence of necessary permits, according to David.

“There was a big leak along SLEX, but the people who need to approve the excavation permit were not around, so because we need to conserve water, we circumvented the process of permitting and we just have to repair that with the help of our partners,” he said.

He added that officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) were not present to approve the permit amid the holidays.

“It was already a holiday at that time, and it is difficult to secure a permit. This was an emergency case, so we went directly to the owners of SLEX to allow us to conduct the repair. It was finished in two days,” David said.

For the DENR official, the public should do their share to prevent the abrupt decline in Angat Dam’s water level.

“We acknowledge that because of hot weather, residents take a bath more often; now, it’s three times as much as we sweat more and residents wash their clothes more. The NWRB, DENR and MWSS understand that we need to do our part also,” he said.

He added that the DENR and NWRB would reassess the water level of Angat Dam on April 30.

“If the water level by the end of April will be lower than the next checkpoint water level, which is around 189 (meters), we need to decrease the water allocation,” he said.

David said that if the drop in the water elevation of Angat Dam by April 30 is not big, a decrease of one cms would be imposed, but if a huge drop happens, the NWRB would be forced to implement a two cms decrease.

At present, the water allocation for Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water is set at 50 cms.

Meanwhile, David said that the use of water hose for cleaning vehicles and driveways and watering of lawns  is prohibited.

“We need to observe water conservation measures. First rule, the use of garden hose is prohibited in cleaning the car as it consumes at least six liters per minute. The use of pail is allowed as it only needs 15 liters in three minutes and you don’t water the plant that long,” he added.

The prohibition was issued by the DENR-Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) through Bulletin No. 3 in an effort to preserve Angat Dam’s water level.

The DENR-WRMO, which is headed by David, was created by President Marcos by virtue of Executive Order 22 issued on April 27 last year.

The WRMO is responsible for the integration and harmonization of all government efforts and regulatory activities to ensure availability and sustainable management of water resources in the entire country.

Task Force El Niño spokesman Joey Villarama, however, said the use of water hose would not be penalized.

“Based on my understanding, there is no penalty, although the word used was ‘prohibit.’ There is no fine, so in the interviews, I keep on saying it’s an appeal,” Villarama told The STAR through a text message yesterday when asked to clarify the matter. — Cecille Suerte Felipe