The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) is relying on alternative water sources and tighter reservoir management to keep Metro Manila’s water supply stable as Angat Dam’s water level continues to decline.

In an interview on Wednesday, MWSS spokesperson Patrick Dizon said the agency has activated its 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 the MWSS, together with Manila Water, Maynilad, and other government agencies, meets weekly under the Angat Technical Working Group to monitor reservoir conditions and manage water allocations.

“So in this situation we need to activate what we call contingency and mitigating measures. Yes, we have our conservation measures and our contingency measures. So we can assure that we will continue to supply water to Manila,” he said.

Dizon said the drop in Angat’s water level was part of its normal seasonal cycle, with reservoir levels typically declining from January to July before being replenished during the rainy season.

To reduce dependence on Angat, MWSS has been expanding alternative water sources since 2019, including treatment plants drawing from Laguna Lake, modular facilities in Marikina and Cavite, and the Wawa Dam in Rizal, which can now supply 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 in Laguna Lake that is located in the East Bay in Pakil, Laguna. So in a month we expect to have 452 million liters per day of additional water,” Dizon said.

He said the MWSS has been directed to maximize these facilities to ensure an adequate water supply.

“The MWSS, along with our concessionaires, ensured that we can operate our new plants so that our water supply will be sufficient for our countrymen,” he said.

As part of its long-term water security strategy, the MWSS is also rehabilitating aging aqueducts and tunnels while pursuing the Kaliwa and Kanan dam projects in Quezon province to lessen Metro Manila’s reliance on Angat Dam.

“Our third pillar is what we call our long-term water sources in Kaliwa Dam and Kanan Dam here in Quezon province that will greatly help us to construct the same capacity as Angat Dam so that we will not only be mainly dependent on Angat,” Dizon said.

He also urged the public to conserve water, warning that El Niño conditions are expected to persist into next year.

“As expected, we will feel the effects of El Niño until next year. That’s why we are continuously calling for the wise use of water,” Dizon said.