Wednesday, September 2, 2015
MORE THAN A TENTH of Metro Manila’s households may have to endure hours of supply interruption as early as next week, officials said yesterday, as the government moves to mitigate the impact of a developing “strong” El Niño episode that could turn out to be the worst since 1998.
The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) approved in August the reduced supply allocation of 38 cubic meters per second (cms) for this month to Maynilad Water Services, Inc. and Manila Water Company, Inc., according to NWRB Executive Director Sevillo D. David, Jr. Allocation for the two water service providers has been at 41 cms for the last two months.
“We need to manage the water level in Angat Dam so we can sustain adequate water for the public until the El Niño phenomenon ends next year,” Mr. David said in a briefing in Quezon City.
The current El Niño episode will continue to affect the elevation level of Angat Dam in Bulacan which provides more than 97% of Metro Manila’s potable water supply. The dam, which has a normal operating level of 210 meters above sea level (masl), had 186.24 masl as of yesterday.
Nathaniel C. Santos, senior deputy administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, said the lower allocation for Maynilad and Manila Water will result in reduced water pressure that will warrant scheduled rotating water interruption for households.
“The normal allocation is between 43-46 cms; so with the 38 cms, the concessionaires will have to lower their water production,” Mr. Santos said.
“In effect, there will be reduced service level in terms of water pressure from faucets. There will also be some areas that will have less than 24-hour water supply availability.”
AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK
Mr. Santos said that concessionaires will give advisories on the affected areas ahead of the scheduled service interruptions to give customers time to store water.
This was confirmed by officials of Maynilad and Manila Water who also warned that, in the absence of rains, rotating supply interruptions could start as early as next week.
“We foresee that 18% of our customers will experience less than 12 hours of water supply availability in a day,” said Ronaldo C. Padua, head of Maynilad’s water supply operations.
Mr. Padua said this is equivalent to about 230,000 households in parts of Quezon City, North Caloocan, Parañaque City, Valenzuela City and Cavite province.
“The supply interruptions could happen anytime within this month but we will advise the specific barangays to be affected ahead of schedule,” he said.
“If there will be no rains in the next two to three days, we expect this to take place as early as Tuesday next week.”
About 9% of Manila Water’s customers will be affected, equivalent to some 125,500 households in parts of Quezon City; Antipolo and Rodriguez in Rizal; Taguig City; Pasig City; and Marikina City.
“Customers will feel the impact through reduced water pressure in households and supply interruptions that will last for 12 hours or more in a day,” said Dittie L. Galang, head of Manila Water’s Media Planning and Tactical Development department.
“We still have supply from La Mesa Dam so this will be felt possibly starting Thursday next week.”
Both water concessionaires said they are ready to deploy water trucks.
“But we still advise the consumers to save and store water so that the water tankers will be used only for emergency cases,” said Maynilad’s Mr. Padua.
FARM LOSSES
Besides water supply, farm lands -- particularly those in Bulacan and Pampanga -- are expected to take a hit from Angat Dam’s falling level.
“With this El Niño scenario, it’s best not to allocate water for irrigation to ensure availability of supply for Metro Manila,” NWRB’s Mr. David said.
“This will continue until such time that we reach the Angat Dam’s comfortable level.”
Romeo M. Lopez, manager of National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) operations department, said the absence of allocation from the dam is expected to cause production losses in Bulacan and parts of Pampanga.
“A total of 50,000 metric tons (MT) of palay will not be harvested until the end of this cropping season in October,” Mr. Lopez said.
“There will be a more significant losses in the next cropping season. We expect the impact to cover 130,000 MT of palay.”
Mr. Lopez said that NIA helps farmers in adopting contingency measures like a modified cropping calendar, planting of short gestating rice varieties, provision of water pumps and better water management.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) last week warned that the currently developing El Niño episode that could last till February or May next year could be the worst since the 1997-1998 event.
Analisa S. Solis, PAGASA weather specialist, said yesterday that the country is “progressing towards a strong El Niño” that is expected to start in fourth quarter of this year and last until the second quarter of 2016.
“Significant reduction in rainfall is predicted beginning this month to February 2016,” Ms. Solis noted.
PAGASA forecasts as of Aug. 25 showed that moderate to severe drought could affect Metro Manila and 64 of the country’s 81 provinces by the end of February. Ms. Solis explained that drought is said to be prevailing when there is 21-60% less rainfall in five consecutive months or more than 60% rainfall reduction over a three-month period.
A dry condition -- or 21-60% less rainfall over two consecutive months -- will affect Surigao del Norte in Mindanao by the end of February.
A dry spell -- which means three consecutive months of 21-60% rainfall reduction -- is expected to affect two provinces in Luzon and four in Mindanao.
Metro Manila last encountered a water shortage in 2010, when Angat Dam’s level fell to 157 masl, below the 160-masl minimum. While Manila Water customers were not affected, around 30% of Maynilad’s concession area endured supply interruptions.
Ayala-led Manila Water provides water and waste-water services to the “east zone” concession area covering the cities of Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Pateros, San Juan, Taguig, Marikina; parts of Manila and Quezon City, as well as some areas in Rizal province.
Maynilad provides such services to the “west zone” that covers residents in most of Manila, parts of Quezon and Makati cities, the cities of Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon in Metro Manila. Its franchise area also covers the cities of Bacoor and Imus as well as the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario in Cavite province.
“We need to manage the water level in Angat Dam so we can sustain adequate water for the public until the El Niño phenomenon ends next year,” Mr. David said in a briefing in Quezon City.
The current El Niño episode will continue to affect the elevation level of Angat Dam in Bulacan which provides more than 97% of Metro Manila’s potable water supply. The dam, which has a normal operating level of 210 meters above sea level (masl), had 186.24 masl as of yesterday.
Nathaniel C. Santos, senior deputy administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, said the lower allocation for Maynilad and Manila Water will result in reduced water pressure that will warrant scheduled rotating water interruption for households.
“The normal allocation is between 43-46 cms; so with the 38 cms, the concessionaires will have to lower their water production,” Mr. Santos said.
“In effect, there will be reduced service level in terms of water pressure from faucets. There will also be some areas that will have less than 24-hour water supply availability.”
AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK
Mr. Santos said that concessionaires will give advisories on the affected areas ahead of the scheduled service interruptions to give customers time to store water.
This was confirmed by officials of Maynilad and Manila Water who also warned that, in the absence of rains, rotating supply interruptions could start as early as next week.
“We foresee that 18% of our customers will experience less than 12 hours of water supply availability in a day,” said Ronaldo C. Padua, head of Maynilad’s water supply operations.
Mr. Padua said this is equivalent to about 230,000 households in parts of Quezon City, North Caloocan, Parañaque City, Valenzuela City and Cavite province.
“The supply interruptions could happen anytime within this month but we will advise the specific barangays to be affected ahead of schedule,” he said.
“If there will be no rains in the next two to three days, we expect this to take place as early as Tuesday next week.”
About 9% of Manila Water’s customers will be affected, equivalent to some 125,500 households in parts of Quezon City; Antipolo and Rodriguez in Rizal; Taguig City; Pasig City; and Marikina City.
“Customers will feel the impact through reduced water pressure in households and supply interruptions that will last for 12 hours or more in a day,” said Dittie L. Galang, head of Manila Water’s Media Planning and Tactical Development department.
“We still have supply from La Mesa Dam so this will be felt possibly starting Thursday next week.”
Both water concessionaires said they are ready to deploy water trucks.
“But we still advise the consumers to save and store water so that the water tankers will be used only for emergency cases,” said Maynilad’s Mr. Padua.
FARM LOSSES
Besides water supply, farm lands -- particularly those in Bulacan and Pampanga -- are expected to take a hit from Angat Dam’s falling level.
“With this El Niño scenario, it’s best not to allocate water for irrigation to ensure availability of supply for Metro Manila,” NWRB’s Mr. David said.
“This will continue until such time that we reach the Angat Dam’s comfortable level.”
Romeo M. Lopez, manager of National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) operations department, said the absence of allocation from the dam is expected to cause production losses in Bulacan and parts of Pampanga.
“A total of 50,000 metric tons (MT) of palay will not be harvested until the end of this cropping season in October,” Mr. Lopez said.
“There will be a more significant losses in the next cropping season. We expect the impact to cover 130,000 MT of palay.”
Mr. Lopez said that NIA helps farmers in adopting contingency measures like a modified cropping calendar, planting of short gestating rice varieties, provision of water pumps and better water management.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) last week warned that the currently developing El Niño episode that could last till February or May next year could be the worst since the 1997-1998 event.
Analisa S. Solis, PAGASA weather specialist, said yesterday that the country is “progressing towards a strong El Niño” that is expected to start in fourth quarter of this year and last until the second quarter of 2016.
“Significant reduction in rainfall is predicted beginning this month to February 2016,” Ms. Solis noted.
PAGASA forecasts as of Aug. 25 showed that moderate to severe drought could affect Metro Manila and 64 of the country’s 81 provinces by the end of February. Ms. Solis explained that drought is said to be prevailing when there is 21-60% less rainfall in five consecutive months or more than 60% rainfall reduction over a three-month period.
A dry condition -- or 21-60% less rainfall over two consecutive months -- will affect Surigao del Norte in Mindanao by the end of February.
A dry spell -- which means three consecutive months of 21-60% rainfall reduction -- is expected to affect two provinces in Luzon and four in Mindanao.
Metro Manila last encountered a water shortage in 2010, when Angat Dam’s level fell to 157 masl, below the 160-masl minimum. While Manila Water customers were not affected, around 30% of Maynilad’s concession area endured supply interruptions.
Ayala-led Manila Water provides water and waste-water services to the “east zone” concession area covering the cities of Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Pateros, San Juan, Taguig, Marikina; parts of Manila and Quezon City, as well as some areas in Rizal province.
Maynilad provides such services to the “west zone” that covers residents in most of Manila, parts of Quezon and Makati cities, the cities of Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon in Metro Manila. Its franchise area also covers the cities of Bacoor and Imus as well as the towns of Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario in Cavite province.
source: BusinessWorldOnline
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