TYPHOON PREPARATIONS. A Manila Water employee is seen in this photo dated May 25, 2023, conducting an equipment assessment ahead of Super Typhoon Mawar's entry. The company said it has started necessary preparations and placed safety and contingency measures in all its facilities to mitigate the possible effects of the typhoon. (Photo courtesy of Manila Water)
CARDONA, Rizal – Manila Water (MW) said Friday afternoon that its maintenance crews here have been put on “heightened alert” in anticipation of any disruption that Super Typhoon Mawar may bring to its water treatment and distribution facilities.
Mawar, once it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility, will be called Betty.
In an interview, Jeric Sevilla, head of corporate communications at MW, said special emphasis has been placed on securing the company’s Cardona Water Treatment Plant (WTP), which has been “maximized” to supply up to 110 million liters of water daily to the towns of Angono, Baras, Binangonan, Tanay and Jalajala, among others.
“We have prompted all Manila Water operation teams to carry out proactive measures to ensure 24/7 water supply to our customers in preparation for Typhoon Betty,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Sevilla said ongoing preparations include the readying of generator sets to assure uninterrupted water services to customers in Rizal, and Manila’s East Zone, in case the inbound super typhoon knocks down power facilities.
Also, the company is anticipating an increase in turbidity (murkiness) of the water it distributes because of debris and other contaminants that the strong downpour may introduce to the water supply.
MW’s treatment plant personnel are ready to increase the amount of chemicals needed to ensure that the water being supplied to customers remains potable, added Sevilla.
He said company technicians will tightly monitor dams for any abnormal spikes in water levels, and dewatering pumps and sandbags are also being prepared for deployment in case of flooding in any of MW’s facilities in the province.
It was explained that the Cardona WTP draws water from the central portion of Laguna Lake to augment water supplied to MW’s concession areas and lessen dependence on water from Angat Dam.
The treatment plant is complemented by 45 kilometers of transmission lines plus 61 kilometers of distribution lines.
MW serves over 413,000 water service connections in Rizal, providing water to an estimated 2.8 million individuals in the province, according to Sevilla. (PNA)
