BATTLING EL NIÑO. MWSS Field Operations Management Department principal engineer Christian Gonzales (left) speaks during a forum at the Quezon City Legislative Building Executive Lounge on Thursday (Feb. 15, 2024). Gonzales said the MWSS is ramping up efforts to augment water sources as part of El Niño mitigation measures. (PNA photo by Stephanie Sevillano)
MANILA – The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) assured Thursday that water source augmentation efforts are in place to cushion the effects of El Niño.
In a press briefing, MWSS Field Operations Management Department principal engineer Christian Gonzales said the country is now more prepared in mitigating the impact of the weather phenomenon.
“Pinagkaiba po niyan, meron tayo ngayong mga water source augmentation project. Noong 2019 po, wala po yung mga additional nating planta sa Laguna, wala rin po yung mga modular treatment plant noon, at yung mga utulization natin ng deep wells (The difference is, we now have water source augmentation project. In 2019, we don’t have additional [treatment] plants in Laguna, we don’t have treatment plants, nor deep well utilization),” he said.
Gonzales said short- to long-term strategies are already underway, including the construction of water conveyance facilities, as well as modular or portable treatment plants in Cavite, Parañaque and Laguna, utilization of deep wells, and the ongoing Kaliwa Dam project whose physical completion is now at 22.74 percent, among others.
In terms of system losses due to the depleting quality of pipes from the Angat dam, he said the MWSS is recovering around 40 to 50 million liters per day (MLD) of water supply.
”Tuluy-tuloy pa rin po yung ating mga efforts para ma-recover pa po natin yung nawawalang tubig sa ating system. Yung current efforts po ng MWSS ay nasa 0.5 CMS po (Our recovery efforts are ongoing to recovery our water losses. The current efforts of MWSS is at 0.5 cubic meter per second), around a third of the system losses that we currently have now,” Gonzales said.
To date, the MWSS records around 150 to 180 MLD system losses.
Despite the system losses alongside the decline of water elevation in dams, Gonzales said water concessionaires can meet the water demand of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal.
“Wala pong naaapektuhan sa ating service area dahil mula po noong nakaraang taon pa po ay nandyan iyong ating mga augmentation sources para i-fill in yung mga kakulangan ng tubig sa Angat dahil sa system losses (No one has been affected in our service areas because our augmentation sources are there since last year to fill-in the system losses in Angat),” Gonzales said.
Peak impact
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), however, said the peak impact of El Niño shall be felt from April to May.
“Yung maximum temperature, we could get as high as 40 degrees (celsius), pero instantaneous values lang naman po siya, hindi yung (but it’s only instantaneous not) on the average,” PAGASA Climatology and Agrometeorology Division officer in charge Ana Liza Solis said in the same briefing.
In particular, this shall be “mostly” felt in the Cagayan Valley Region, she added.
“Around 41 provinces are under meteorological drought, but if we include dry spells and drought areas, still around 80 provinces are affected,” Solis said.
To date, PAGASA monitors the meteorological drought condition to persist even by the end of June despite the possible occurrence of local thunderstorms or one to two storms. (PNA)
