Will Our Water Supply Be Enough for Summer?

Angat Dam 


Hello Summer

Summer is almost upon us. I can now imagine the scorching summer heat, people frolicking at the beach or for those who will opt to have staycations, taking a bath more than twice a day is a possibility. The question is, will our water supply be enough to sustain our increased need for it this summer season? 

Historically, consumer demand for water increases during the summer months. This, coupled with scant rainfall over our water reservoirs, Angat and Ipo Dam poses a problem for consumers like us. Yes, water service interruption during the hot season is something that we all can expect.



Solutions for Consumers

Maynilad, the water and wastewater service provider for the West Zone of the Greater Metro Manila area with the biggest customer base in the Philippines, is taking measures to ensure that we experience less impact when reduced allocation this summer happens. These measures are:


Putatan Water Treatment Plant 2 (photo grabbed from google) 


1. Optimization of its Putatan Water Treatment Plant 1 (PWTP 1) - This is Maynilad’s first facility to draw water from Laguna Lake since 2010. Putatan Water Treatment Plant 1 produces 150 million liters per day (MLD) of potable water. 

Did You Know?

Maynilad is the first water utility company to source water from Laguna Lake. In 2010, they began tapping the lake as an additional source of raw water. The water purification processes at Maynilad’s treatment facility in Putatan, Muntinlupa provides an absolute physical barrier to bacteria and viruses, which conventional filtration processes cannot achieve. 

2. Commissioning of PWTP 2 - Maynilad invested in a second treatment plant that draws more water from Laguna Lake. The initial output of the Putatan Water Treatment Plant 2 was at 100 MLD in April 2019 and was increased to 50 MLD in October 2019 since it’s inauguration in February 2019.

Did You Know? 

The process of treatment of water at PWTP 1 and 2 is called Reverse Osmosis. Reverse Osmosis filters water by using pressure to force fluid through a semi-permeable membrane while keeping dissolved solids out. Ultrafiltration removes solids and other contaminants by passing water through an ultraporous membrane. 

See? Our tap waters are safe for drinking after all. Imagine how much we can save if we all just drink it directly instead of purchasing the bottled ones! 

3. Reactivating Deep Wells - Maynilad has been reactivating existing deep wells within it concession area, using additional treatment technology to make the yield potable. This will add around 52 MLD by April 2020. 


Another view of Angat Dam and Power Plant 


Did You Know? 

97% of the water supply for Metro Manila and nearby areas come from Angat Dam. The remaining 3% comes from deepwells. The water taken from these sources are treated at Maynilad’s La Mesa Water Treatment Plants 1 and 2 in Novaliches, Quezon City. These facilities turn raw water from Angat Dam into clean, reliable and safe drinking water.

4. Sustaining Reduction of Water Losses - Maynilad inherited one of the oldest pipe networks in Asia, with some segments dating back to the Spanish times. Maynilad poured millions worth of investments to replace 2,500 kilometers of old pipes and repaired more than 360,000 leaks since 2008. The effort resulted in supply recovery for distribution to customers. Recent intensified water loss reduction initiatives will enable Maynilad to plow back around 83 MLD additional supply to the network by summer 2020, and another 11 MLD by the 3rd Quarter of 2020.

Did You Know? 

The Maynilad water distribution system is the longest ISO-certified facility of its kind in the Philippines. It stretches from North Caloocan to Cavite Province. 

Our Mommy Bloggers tour around our water damsalso made me aware that the location and elevation of a certain city or province affects its water supply. Lower areas experience better water supply as the elevated ones will need double effort to pump water to their areas. 


Members of Mommy Bloggers Philippines at our final destination La Mesa Water Treatment Plant  


5. Purchasing mobile treatment plants that will tap rivers within the West concession area in Cavite - Maynilad is exploring the deployment of modular water treatment plants and extract raw water from Cavite rivers within the concession. This will yield around 13 MLD by April 2020, and another 14 MLD by July to August 2020.

Did You Know? 

There is a certain government agency that controls the amount of water to be allocated for Metro Manila consumers. Also, the duration of service interruptions per area is dependent on the hydraulic configuration of the pipelines. 

Certain factors cause the delay of supply resumption following a service interruption. These include the volume of withdrawal from the pipelines as customers start getting water, the topography of an area, and the actual raw water supply that enters Maynilad’s treatment plants for the day. 

6. Deploying mobile water tankers and stationary water tanks (SWT) - Maynilad acquired a total of 69 mobile water tankers and 32 SWTs, which are being deployed to different areas within it West Zone concession.

Did You Know? 

When Maynilad is given less than its usual raw water allocation, it is constrained to maximize the limited supply by rotating it to the different areas within its concession. This is to ensure that all customers will have an opportunity to store water, albeit within only a few hours daily. 

It is advised to just store enough water that customers will need for the duration of a service interruption. Drawing too much water after service resumption will not only prevent the supply from reaching highly elevated and fringe areas, it may also cause the hoarders water bill to spike.


A visit at Ipo Dam 



7. Conducting cloud-seeding operations - Maynilad is currently working with MWSS, Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), and Philippine Air Force (PAF) on the guidelines and schedule of the cloud-seeding operations. 

Did You Know? 

The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) is the government agency responsible for determining the allocation of raw water supply from Angat Dam for MWSS and NIA. The normal allocation for MWSS is 48 cubic meters per second (cms). This supply is shared among residents of Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan. 

More than Maynilad’s preparation measures for the summer, they are also looking into a more long-term solution that will help alleviate water service interruption to its customers. They see that developing an additional raw water source with the same scale as Angat Dam as the ultimate solution. The government through the MWSS, has lined up several prospective sources, and is working hard to fast-track their development to ensure long-term water security and reliability for water consumers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. 


La Mesa Water Treatment Plant 2 is the last stop before potable can reach us. 


Our role

Though our water service provider is doing their best to bring us clean water that is safe to drink and use for our daily consumption at home, us consumers also have the responsibility to ensure that we use it wisely. So I am also sharing some tips on responsible water usage:

Avoid Wasting Water (Iwasan ang maaksayang paggamit ng tubig) 

• Use your bath water to flush your toilet, wash dirty cloths (basahan)
• Do not use hose in cleaning your car or garage, use pail instead
• Turn off the faucet while washing your hands with soap
• Use glass when brushing your teeth

Make Sure Legitimate Customers are being Serviced (Siguraduhing lehitimong kostumers are nakikinabang sa tubig) 

• Report broken pipes and illegal connections to Maynilad Hotline 1626

Recycle Water (Mag-recycle ng tubig nang hindi makakasama sa kalikasan) 

Make sure to use water wisely especially when it comes to the health and sanitation of your family. (Gamitin ng wasto ang tubig. Huwag hayaang makaapekto sa kalusugan at sanitasyon ng inyong pamilya ang sobrang pagtitipid ng tubig.


Everyone, everywhere has the right to safe and clean water. It is an extremely important resource that we cannot live without. But let’s also remember that though nature provides us with abundant resources, it is also our responsibility to use it wisely. 

So guys, it looks like Maynilad’s got our back. We will have a great summer after all! Thank you Maynilad.


For more information on Maynilad’s operations, please visit their Facebook page. 

Rolled Into One Mom

2 comments:

  1. It is really true that Maynilad tap water is potable? If that's the case mas convenient kesa bumibili ng mineral water para inumin. In our Condo we have Bp waterworks a 3rd party of Maynilad pero mas mahal siya.if the process is reverse osmosis which makes water potable dapat yun water namin dito pwede na mainom kasi 2x-3x ang mahal. They have on going construct here in Muntinlupa. I am thankful we have enough supply for this coming summer.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ansaya this tour! Glad I was able to see you momsh!

    ReplyDelete

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