MWSS banks on new water sources as Angat level drops
Daily Tribune(June 24 2026) Situation of water level at Angat Dam in Barangay San Lorenzo, Norzagaray, Bulacan on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. The water level at Angat Dam, Metro Manila’s primary water source, continues to decline due to insufficient rainfall. During a press conference on Monday, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration officials said that although another low-pressure area is currently being monitored, its trajectory is likely to recurve due to the effects of El Niño. PAGASA also revealed that the receding water level at Angat Dam would require approximately 1,229 millimeters of rainfall to recover. Photo/Analy Labor
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) is tapping alternative water sources and tightening reservoir management to keep Metro Manila's water supply stable as the water level at Angat Dam continues to decline.
MWSS spokesperson Patrick Dizon said Wednesday the agency has activated contingency measures and is conserving water releases from Angat Dam while maximizing newer supply sources developed over the past several years.
"Our allocation of 52 cubic meters per second is around 4,500 million liters of water per day. That's what we need from Angat Dam. We don't use it totally. We don't release it to our dams and treatment plants so that we can save water for our reservoir up there," Dizon said.
He said MWSS, its concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services, and other government agencies meet weekly through the Angat Technical Working Group to monitor reservoir conditions and manage water allocations.
"In this situation, we need to activate what we call contingency and mitigating measures. We have our conservation measures and our contingency measures, so we can assure the public that we will continue to supply water to Metro Manila," he said.
Dizon said the decline in Angat Dam's water level is part of its normal seasonal cycle, with reservoir levels typically falling from January to July before recovering during the rainy season.
To reduce reliance on Angat Dam, MWSS has been developing alternative water sources since 2019, including treatment plants sourcing water from Laguna Lake, modular treatment facilities in Marikina and Cavite, and the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project in Rizal, which now supplies up to 710 million liters of water per day.
"This year, we expect to finish the construction of six new plants—three in Cavite, one in Pasay, one in Tipolo, and one drawing from Laguna Lake in Pakil, Laguna. Within a month, we expect to add 452 million liters per day to our water supply," Dizon said.
He said MWSS has directed its concessionaires to maximize the use of these facilities to ensure adequate water supply.
"The MWSS, together with our concessionaires, is ensuring that these new plants are fully operational so that we can provide sufficient water for our consumers," he said.
As part of its long-term water security strategy, MWSS is also rehabilitating aging aqueducts and tunnels while pursuing the Kaliwa and Kanan dam projects in Quezon province to diversify Metro Manila's water sources.
"Our third pillar is our long-term water sources—the Kaliwa Dam and Kanan Dam projects in Quezon Province—which will help us build water supply capacity comparable to Angat Dam so that we will no longer rely primarily on a single source," Dizon said.
He also urged the public to conserve water, warning that the effects of El Niño are expected to persist into next year.
"The effects of El Niño are expected to be felt until next year. That's why we continue to encourage everyone to practice the wise use of water," Dizon said.