SECRETARY Roy Cimatu of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) assured President Duterte and the Cabinet last Monday that the public will have a sufficient supply of water this summer. He said he had inspected Angat Dam, which supplies 97 percent of Metro Manila’s water needs, and said it should have enough water this year.
The next day, Executive Director Sevillo David Jr. of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) issued an appeal to the public to help conserve water as service interruptions, he said, will be implemented in some parts of Metro Manila with the expected decline in the water level of Angat Dam in the coming months.
The two reports appear to be at odds with each other – one assuring there will be enough water, the other appealing to the public to conserve water.
But then, we realize that they really complement each other. The message to the public is really this – there will be enough water this summer, but the public must do its part by avoiding wasteful practices such as excessive watering of plants and cleaning of cars, and allowing faucets to continue running long after containers are full. The public must also be quick to report broken pipes, possibly in traffic accidents, that spew water into streets and canals for hours before repair crews arrive.
The NWRB stressed the need for public cooperation because the water level at Angat Dam fell to 157 meters in 2019, the lowest that year, an effect of the El Niño phenomenon. This was way below the target level of 212 meters.
We have not had any storm rains that would have helped to fill the dam. And now we are beginning the hot summer months of March, April, and May. The water-bearing “habagat” winds from the southwest will start blowing only in June. Until then the present water now in Angat Dam will have to do.
After President Duterte berated the Metro Waterworks and Sewerage System and the Manila Water concessionaire in eastern Metro Manila last summer, they quickly managed to end the water rationing, while stopping the release of water for irrigating farms in Bulacan. As a result of last year’s water problem, it was decided that Wawa Dam be used once again to help supply water for Metro Manila. A new Kaliwa Dam will also be built but it will take years to complete.
For this year, we will have to continue relying on Angat Dam, plus new deep wells and Laguna de Bay. Secretary Cimatu believes Angat, despite its low water level, will be able to supply Metro Manila’s needs this summer but a big part of his assessment is the hope that some occasional rains will fall.
Equally important is the people’s cooperation by conserving water in all possible ways. Together, Secretary Cimatu’s assessment of Angat’s capabilities plus the public’s cooperation, we should be able to go through this summer without any serious disruption of Metro Manila’s water supply.
