MWSS says no cut in water allocation from Angat Dam

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) on Thursday said there is no cut in the water allocation from Angat Dam this May as searing heat continues to affect parts of the country.

In an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, MWSS department manager Patrick Dizon said they asked the National Water Resources Board to refrain from cutting their allocation.

“Na-retain ‘yung 50 cubic meters o equivalent po ito ng around 4.3 billion litrong tubig po kada araw at na susuplayan po natin ‘yung 90% po no na water requirement po ng buong MWSS service areas para hindi po tayo magkaroon ng water service interruption,” Dizon said.

(We retained the 50 cubic meters or this is equivalent to 4.3 billion liters per day and we can supply 90% of the water requirement of the MWSS service areas to avoid water service interruptions.)

As of 12 noon Thursday, Dizon said the water level of Angat Dam is at 187.12 meters.

“Malayo pa po ito sa atin pong critical level na 160 meters (this is still far from the critical level of 160 meters),” he said.

Dizon, meanwhile, said that the MWSS is implementing pressure management strategies to conserve water.

“Pero [ina-assure] naman namin sa ating mga kababayan na hindi naman po tayo mawawalan ng tubig sa mga oras na mag co-conduct kami ng mga pressure management strategies at hihina lamang po yung atin pong pressure ng ating tubig,” he said.

(But we are assuring the public that there would be no water service interruptions when we conduct pressure management strategies. The water pressure will only decrease.)

Weather bureau PAGASA previously forecast the heat index spiking between 45°C and 54.8°C in May in some parts of the country.

Heat index is the measure of the temperature that a person feels, which is different from the actual air temperature. It is computed by factoring in the humidity as well as the air temperature.

Amid this, PAGASA also said that one to two tropical cyclones are expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility in May. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News