With the El Niño phenomenon expected to intensify by the last quarter of this year, East Zone water and used water concessionaire Manila Water said it is already preparing its contingency and mitigation plans in order to lessen the potential impacts to its 6.3 million customers in its service areas.
This developed as the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) earlier said the public should expect that the current moderate El Niño is very likely to become strong beginning October this year which may last up to May 2016.
According to Manila Water OIC for Corporate Strategic Affairs Group and also Corporate Communications Head Jeric Sevilla, Manila Water is currently closely coordinating with other member agencies of the Interagency Technical Working Group on El Nino to prepare early for the worsening El Niño. PAGASA indicated below to way below normal rainfall conditions during the last quarter of this year. The water level at Angat Dam at this time is only a little above 180 meters which is still more than 30 meters below the normal operating level of 212 meters, the targeted year-end level of the dam.
Sevilla said at the moment, supply to Manila Water customers remain normal despite the reduced allocation to 41 cubic meters per second largely because of the inflows to both Ipo and La Mesa dams. The efficiency of its water network due to the reduction of system loss to the present 11% has greatly contributed to ensuring that water produced from its treatment plant go directly to its customers.
Part of the East Zone concessionaire’s mitigation plans include the intensification of leak repair programs; ensuring all equipment and facilities such as treatment plants, pump stations and reservoirs are operable to avoid downtime; reactivation of deepwells for possible supply augmentation; deployment of mobile treatment plants; and implementation of supply and pressure management schemes, in case needed.
Manila Water said it has to be ready with its plans to cushion the impact of the predicted strong El Niño to its customers in portions of Quezon City and Manila, Pasig, Marikina, San Juan, Pateros, Taguig, Makati, Mandaluyong and Rizal Province.