MWSS: No water crisis in Metro Manila amid El Niño

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) reassured the public that there will be no water shortages in Metro Manila during the El Niño phenomenon.

In a 24 Oras report from Bernadette Reyes on Wednesday, the MWSS told the public that there is no need to hoard water, stressing that it was more important to consume the resource responsibly instead.

Following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s statement urging people to buy buckets ahead of the dry spell, several citizens flocked to a store in Quezon City to buy buckets and drums.

“Mahirap, marami pa naman kami araw-araw gamit ng tubig. Mas mahalaga kasi ang tubig…mahirapan ka rin kung saan ka mag-iigib,” said resident Olivia Gregorio, who was buying a drum. (It is hard, we use a lot of water everyday. Water really is more important… it is hard to know where to fetch water.)

But the MWSS said that there was no need to panic.

“I think the president is saying, is that is for outside Metro Manila dahil…I can guarantee na wala pong water service crisis this coming Super El Niño. Handa po ang Manila Water at Maynilad, hindi po magkakaroon ng water crisis,” MWSS Chief Regulator Patrick Ty said.

(I think the President is saying, is that is for outside Metro Manila because… I can guarantee that there will be no water service crisis this coming Super El Niño. Manila Water and Maynilad are ready, there will be no water crisis.)

Preparations for a Super El Niño already began in 2022. Ty said that the worst that could happen to consumers are water interruptions, but water would still return within 24 hours. There would be no need to lay down buckets outside.

“They don't need to go pila balde sa labas po… hindi po natin kailangan iyon,” Ty said. (They don’t need for outdoor lines for water… there is no need.)

Manila Water spokesperson Jeric Sevilla said that the water concessionaire has already learned its lesson from 2019.

“2019, Angat lang source natin. So we learned from that. Now, mahalaga to be water secure kinakailangan na magdevelop tayo ng mga karagdagan pang mg water sources,” Sevilla said.

(In 2019, our only source was the Angat Dam. So we learned from that. Now, it is important to be water secure, we need to develop additional water sources.)

These additional water resources include the Cardona Water Treatment Plant, which could provide 110 million liters per day. Phase 1 of the East Bay Project is also done, which could provide 50 million liters per day. Phase 2 of the project is expected to be finished this month and could provide 200 million liters per day.

Meanwhile, Maynilad has upgraded their facilities and reduced their non revenue water. —Jean Mangaluz/RF, GMA News