(PNA file photo)
ANTIPOLO CITY – The decision of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to cut water allocation coming from Angat Dam down to 50 cubic meters per second from 52 CMS would not affect the operations of the east zone concessionaire Manila Water.
In an interview, Dittie Galang, Manila Water’s corporate communications head, explained that the 50 cms allocation from Angat, which took effect July 1, is “not worrisome” to overall operations because during past dry seasons, the company managed to make do with allocations of only 46 to 48 cms.
“We cannot even call it rationing, they (NWRB) are only managing the water to make it last until the next rainy season,” she said.
The NWRB is reportedly conserving water from Angat, which is located in Norzagaray, Bulacan, because of the onset of the El Niño.
The spokesperson also assured MW’s estimated 2.8 million customers in Rizal that Angat is only one of the multiple sources of water being supplied to the province’s 413,000 water service connections.
Galang disclosed that the company’s newly inaugurated Calawis Treatment Plant in Antipolo is already producing some 20 million liters per day for Rizal customers, using water drawn from the Wawa River.
She explained that the newest plant, which began its “commissioning phase” in June, will be producing up to 80 million liters daily when its operations go into full swing.
Meanwhile, MW’s Cardona Treatment Plant, which draws from Laguna Lake, supplies some 110 million liters of clean water to taps across Rizal, said Galang.
It was explained that at the moment, MW only supplies water to certain parts of Rizal, including Antipolo City, Angono, Baras, Binangonan, Cainta, Jalajala, Taytay, and a few other communities in the province.
The company has recently indicated its plan to expand operations to cover the entirety of Rizal province, on top of supplying running water to Metro Manila’s East Zone and portions of Laguna province. (PNA)
