WATER INTERRUPTIONS TO HIT METRO MANILA UNTIL NEXT WEEK

WATER companies Maynilad and Manila Water issued separate advisories of service interruptions in Metro Manila starting this weekend and until next week.

West Zone operator Maynilad said maintenance activities have been scheduled in the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Parañaque, Pasay, and Quezon, reports said.

Maynilad also advised a ected customers to store ample water ahead of the activities, which would be conducted during off-peak hours to minimize the impact on its consumers.

Meanwhile, East Zone concessionaire Manila Water said scheduled maintenance activities would a ect parts of the cities of San Juan and Pasig, GMA News reported

Residents of affected areas were likewise advised to store adequate water before the service improvement activities, the two companies said.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) earlier appealed to the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to maintain the 50 cubic meters per second (cms) water allocation for Metro Manila in May amid the high heat index being experienced in the country.

MWSS Water and Sewerage Management Department manager Patrick Dizon, quoted by reports, said members of the Angat Technical Working Group (TWG) met on Wednesday and agreed to ask the NWRB to observe a status quo in the current water allocation for Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water.

The Angat TWG is headed by the NWRB. Aside from the MWSS, other members are the National Irrigation Administration and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Carlos David has said that if the drop in the water elevation of Angat Dam is not big by April 30, a decrease of one cm would be imposed.

“But if a huge drop happens, the NWRB will be forced to implement a decrease of two cms,” David said.