Maynilad warns of 18-hour supply interruptions

MANILA, Philippines – Some 1.2 million customers of west zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. will experience rotational service interruptions of up to 18 hours due to the decreasing level of Angat and Ipo Dams.

In an advisory, Maynilad said it may implement daily rotational water service interruption due to insufficient rains over Angat and Ipo watersheds during the last few days.

“We cannot say yet at this point when exactly the rotational service interruptions will take full effect. We are still able to optimize the limited supply, and this cushions the impact to our customers,” Maynilad spokesperson Jennifer Rufo said yesterday in a text message to The STAR.

“But assuming that sufficient rains still do not fall over the watersheds, and the water level in Ipo Dam stays below the optimum maintaining level of 101 meters-and-above, then we will feel the full brunt of the reduced 40 (cubic meters per second or) cms allocation from Angat Dam,” she added.

Affected areas are Navotas, Muntinlupa, Manila, Malabon, Makati, Las Piñas, Caloocan, Parañaque, Pasay, Quezon City and Valenzuela.

It will also affects the cities of Bacoor, Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario in Cavite and Meycauayan in Bulacan.

As of yesterday morning, Angat Dam was at 187.53 meters, slightly below the 187.92 meters recorded the other day. Angat’s normal level is at 180 meters.

Ipo Dam, meanwhile, is at 100.76 meters, already below the 101-meter maintaining level.

“This is essentially a raw water supply shortfall of around 250 million liters per day,” Rufo said.

The National Water Resources Board has not adjusted the 40 cms allocation when Angat returned to its minimum operating level last August. The average allocation is 48 cms on normal days.