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Water firms warn of supply shortage


Metro Manila residents may face a dry summer with water levels at Angat dam — the metropolis' primary water source — currently below normal and likely to fall further given an existing El Niño. A utility yesterday said it was preparing for the worst given that Angat's level was at six-year lows, although the weather bureau said there was imminent danger to water supply. "Our monitoring of dam levels, particularly Angat, [show that it] is [at its] the lowest in six years," Jeric T. Sevilla, spokesman of east zone concessionaire Manila Water. Co., told reporters on Monday. He added that they were "preparing for the worst." "If before, we were getting 46 cubic meters per second from Angat as of December, now it has been reduced to 43, and if this continues then water which we source from Angat will be reduced," Sevilla said. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) spokesman Nathaniel A. Cruz admitted that the water level at the dam was below normal. "Our monitoring indicates the elevation level at the Angat dam now stands at 202 meters, and the rule curve is 205.17 meters. There is now a deviation or a shortfall of 3.74 meters in the dam," he said in a telephone interview. The weather bureau has already noted below normal rainfall levels nationwide, tracing this to an ongoing El Niño episode. The weather phenomenon, which manifests in this part of the world via droughts, will "likely influence the country's climate through the first half of the year," according to an advisory posted on the PAGASA Website. It cited "unusually way below normal" rainfall last month in most areas of Luzon, and added that similar conditions had occurred in Western Visayas and portions of Mindanao. "These are clear manifestations of the impacts of El Niño in the country," it said. A drought has already been declared in the province of Capiz in the Western Visayas given below normal rainfall from August to December. Dry spell areas — those experiencing three to four consecutive months of below normal rainfall — have also increased. The latter comprise the provinces of Benguet, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Batangas, Aurora, Quezon, Marinduque, Mindoro, Romblon, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Northern Samar, Aklan, Guimaras, Biliran, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat. "Most parts of Luzon and the Visayas will likely experience below normal rainfall condition. Likewise, greater portions of western, central and eastern Mindanao are expected to have drier condition[s] except the southern part, which is likely to experience near normal rainfall," PAGASA said. "With the ongoing El Niño episode, Northern Samar is [in a] near drought condition, [and] likely to experience below normal rainfall condition for five consecutive months," PAGASA said. For January, climate conditions could be affected by a monsoon, the tail end of the cold front, and the slim chance of a tropical cyclone, among others. Cruz noted that other dams in Luzon, such as Magat in Isabela and San Roque in Pangasinan, have also been exhibiting low levels, although he did not cite figures. "For Angat's case, though the El Niño is a moderate one, what concerns us is that is has now already low water levels," he said. Angat, located in the province of Bulacan in Central Luzon and which supplies some 90 percent of Metro Manila's water needs, also irrigates neighboring farmlands. The reservoir and dam are operated by the National Power Corp. (Napocor), which has a 246-megawatt facility there, and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). "But as of now, there is no imminent danger to water supply, but we are still monitoring the situation to see whether this could extend," Cruz said. Napocor and NIA officials were not immediately available for comment regarding the possible impact on power and irrigation supply. West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc., for its part, said it had not monitored any significant decrease in water sourced from Angat, but noted that present volumes were "definitely lower than that of last year." "It is definitely lower than the rule curve," Maynilad President Rogelio L. Singson said in a separate telephone interview. The two water utilities said they were drawing contingency plans in case of a shortage. "We may be looking at the reactivation of deep well facilities, which are on standby now. This also includes the continuous reduction of water leaks in the system," Manila Water's Sevilla said. "We're also looking at pressure reduction strategy and supply management, meaning to say that supply is still at 24/7 availability but at a reduced pressure," he added. Should delivery of water need to be interrupted, Maynilad's Singson said this would be done during off-peak hours. — BusinessWorld

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