Those living in Metro Manila’s west zone were saved from last month’s controversial water crisis but now some of them are experiencing similar interruptions. A representative from the area’s water concessionaire Maynilad has said that they have started to cut supply for a few hours in a day to manage their water supply.
Maynilad corporate communications head Jennifer Rufo told radio station Dobol B earlier today that the water level in the Bagbag Reservoir is now below the normal 68 to 70 meters. This pushed them to implement water interruptions to prevent the water level from lowering too quickly.
A total of 38 barangays (villages) in Caloocan, Quezon City, and north Valenzuela are said to be affected by the new scheme. In an interview with radio station DZMM, Rufo said that water pressure is lowered in elevated areas when the supply level drops to 65 meters.
Interruptions usually happen during off-peak hours or from 12mn – 4am but 10 percent of Maynilad’s clients are also affected during office hours.
Rufo said that the low supply was brought by the increased demand for water due to to the summer heat. She was, however, optimistic that the interruptions will only last for a week.
If this turns out to be true, that’s nothing compared to the water shortage those in the eastern part of Metro Manila experienced last month. That area’s water provider Manila Water implemented hours-long water interruptions during the day that severely affected about 1.2 million customers, including homes, restaurants, and hospitals. Those serviced by Maynilad were unaffected.
The water crisis was controversial as some argued about what may have caused it. Manila Water blamed it on the drought caused by the El Niño season, while the government’s Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said it was because of higher demand for water. Some believe the crisis could have been avoided altogether if the MWSS did not allegedly close a bypass in Quezon City’s La Mesa Dam. The government agency, however, denies that they ordered to close the bypass.
The issue led Manila Water to provide its customers a waiver for their water bill.
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