Maynilad warns of declining water supply from La Mesa Dam

Water concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) on Wednesday said water elevation in La Mesa Dam has been declining in the recent weeks, resulting in less available supply for its concession area.

This forced East Zone concessionaire Manila Water Co. Inc. to gradually suspend cross-portal supply sharing with Maynilad, which would lessen water supply for millions of customers and prolong daily service interruptions beginning April 1.

According to Maynilad, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) will be sending a letter request to the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) for an increased allocation of 52 cubic meters per second from Angat Dam in  April to May.

This is so both the Ipo and La Mesa Dams “can fully recover and more raw water is conveyed to the Novaliches Portal.”

“With a higher raw water allocation, Manila Water would be more comfortable with sustaining the cross-portal sharing arrangement with Maynilad. It will also increase the volume of raw water that reached Maynilad’s treatment plants, enabling us to suspend the daily service interruptions that is currently in place,” Maynilad said.

The company started implementing daily service interruptions on Tuesday, March 28, to preserve the remaining supply in the Angat-Ipo system due to the impending El Nino phenomenon.

During El Nino, less rainfall arrives to replenish the dams, resulting in supply shortage.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration recently warned that El Nino is likely to develop in July to September this year, and will persist until 2024.

Despite this, the MWSS on Tuesday said the Angat Dam was enjoying a “comfortable water level” and that supply shortage was unlikely this year.

Metro Manila and surrounding areas depend on the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system for crucial supply.