The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said on Sunday it was taking into consideration lessening the water pressure of concessionaires in Metro Manila as a step in saving the continuous downtrend of the water level (WL) of Angat Dam caused by the ongoing El Niño.

“Nagkaroon kami ng pag-uusap with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) kung saan pinag-usapan namin yung monthly o yung three-months na allocation ng MWSS para makapag-prepare tayo dito sa nag-aamba na epekto ng El Niño sa ating community,” said MWSS spokesperson Engr. Patrick Dizon in a radio interview.

(We had a conversation with the National Water Resources Board where we discussed the monthly or three-month allocation of MWSS so that we could prepare for the impending impact of El Niño on our community.)

“Isa sa option natin para mabawasan yung consumption ng ating customers at para ma-save yung ating elevation sa Angat Dam ay kailangan nating bawasan yung pressure,” he added, further noting that there have been no final decision made yet regarding the matter.

(One of our options to reduce the consumption of our customers and to save our elevation in Angat Dam is that we need to reduce the pressure.)

The latest monitoring of PAGASA shows that currently, the reservoir WL of Angat Dam is 201.70 meters, -10.30 meters short of its normal high water level (NWHL) of 212.00 meters.

“Sa ganitong pagkakataon, sa ganitong buwan ay talagang bababa yung elevation ng ating mga reservoir,” he said, adding that its WL drop is estimated to be 17 centimeters per day.

(In this case, in this month, the elevation of our reservoirs will really decrease.)

“El Niño man yan o La Niña ay talagang pababa yung ating elevation.”

(Whether it's El Niño or La Niña, our elevation is really declining.)

Dizon said that during the rainy season in the last part of 2023, the MWSS requested the NWRB increase the Angat Dam’s NWHL to 214.00 meters.

“Yung additional two meters na buffer sa ating resrovoir ay yung yung gagamitin natin kaya mataas pa rin yung ating elevation for this sumer.”

(The additional two meters of buffer in our reservoir is the one we will use, so our elevation is still high for this summer.)

The MWSS official further explained that the minimum operating level of Angat Dam is approximately 180 meters, and when it is below the said level, the supply to irrigation will be minimal.

“Ang ating Angat Dam ay isang multi-purpose dam, so ang gumagamit niyan ay ang domestic water supply for Metro Manila and yung irrigation naman dito sa Bulacan,” said Dizon.

(Our Angat Dam is a multi-purpose dam, so its uses are the domestic water supply for Metro Manila and the irrigation in Bulacan.)

“Yun yung ating iniiwasan natin, na bumagsak ang ating elevation ng reservoir hanggang 180 meters, kasi by that time, ay minimal na lang ang ire-release sa ating irrigation,” he added.

(That is what we are avoiding: that our reservoir elevation falls to 180 meters because, by that time, only minimal water will be released in our irrigation.)

Dizon said that in the case of a water interruption, it will be concentrated in the evening, from 8:00 PM or 10:00 PM until 4:00 AM.