PIA Dispatch - Thursday, July 22, 2010

Gov’t unwraps short, long-term solutions to water shortage 

The Aquino administration today expressed serious concern about the current water supply shortage in Metro Manila, but assured that it is still isolated and can be addressed with short-term measures.

Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Edwin Lacierda and Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, in a press briefing this morning at the New Executive Building in Malacanang, disclosed a water supply sector program or water roadmap to be implemented over the next six years.

The two officials enumerated the definitive steps to be taken to immediately address the water supply problem.

Singson, who briefed President Benigno S. Aquino III and the Cabinet Wednesday night on the issue, said the onset of the rainy season complemented by cloud seeding operations, increased the water level in Angat Dam by 70 centimeters, from 158.18 meters last Tuesday to 158.88 meters Wednesday.

However, Singson reported 117 barangays experiencing up to six hours of short supply. Twenty-nine of these communities are in Caloocan City; 28 in Quezon City, and 35 barangays in Manila. Of these, 32 barangays have been reported to have zero water supply.

Among the short-term measures being undertaken to solve the water supply shortage are the following:

a) Continuing the mobilization of water tankers to affected barangays; 

b) Tapping the fire trucks of local governments and volunteer fire brigades to help deliver water to affected areas; 

c) The setting up of an action center to be manned by people from the two water supply concessionaires (Maynilad and Manila Water), along with the Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System for a more efficient and orderly deployment of the water tankers to the affected barangays; 

d) Forging a cross-border sharing arrangement whereby Manila Water will supply an additional 40 million liters per day (MLD) to an estimated 100,000 Maynilad customers; 

e) Cloud seeding operations over Angat, with the two concessionaires initially chipping in P3.1 million to the Bureau of Soils and Water Management for this exercise, plus additional funds if necessary. 

f) Increasing the capacity of the treatment plant in Pututan in Muntinlupa, which currently provides 25 MLD to previously deprived customers in the area, to 50 MLD. 

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has called a meeting to tackle the request for security personnel to protect the volunteers supplying water from tankers to waterless areas, as well as repair crews of both concessionaires from harm and harassment by unruly residents.

Lacierda said the two concessionaires and the fire volunteers would also provide water for the hygiene and sanitation needs of public facilities like public schools, hospitals and markets to ward off epidemics. 

The Palace official also said the Aquino administration has called for donations of bottled water for distribution to the affected residents.

Lacierda likewise urged concerned citizens to immediately report to appropriate authorities, including barangay officials, all illegal water connections that could possibly contaminate the water supply through leaking pipes.

Singson pointed out that the MWSS board, in its last meeting, was told to “expedite and diligently study other proposals to tap other water sources like the Wawa River in Marikina, Laiban Dam, the Sierra Madre and Laguna Lake with due consideration on: reliability, investments; operational cost, water quality and impact on water tariffs.”

Singson said the letter of San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang to MWSS on the revival of its proposal to develop the Laiban Dam will be studied alongside other proposals.

“We only want to look at the project in terms of current market requirements instead of operating it at full in the future, which is not yet needed. If we only need 300 to 500 milliliters per day (MLD) now, why must we approve a project that will supply 1,900 MLD when it is not needed right now?” Singson explained.

He said he proposed that all these measures for a water roadmap be adopted in all urban centers of the country.


Local execs on top of water supply problem

Local executives are on top of the situation as far as the water shortage in Metro Manila is concerned.

This, Malacanang assured today, even as the Aquino government announced earlier several short-term measures as well as a long-range plan to address the problem. 

Three city mayors – Manila’s Alfredo Lim, Navotas’ John Ray Tiangco and Quezon City’s Herbert Bautista – joined Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda in assuring the public that the national government as well as local governments are doing all they can to address the situation. 

“We would like to assure that the local chief executives are on top of the situation” Lacierda said in press briefing in Malacanang. 

Mayor Bautista said that he has already created and is heading a Quezon City water crisis management task force to provide water in affected areas. He said they have already identified and delivered water supply to the 22 affected barangays in the city.

Although there is no water rationing yet in Manila, Mayor Lim said he had alerted fire volunteer brigades to put their water tanks on standby for speedy mobilization. Lim cited however the low water pressure in some parts of the city.

Since water interruptions started last Monday, Tiangco said they have mobilized 13 fire trucks for rationing to affected areas in Navotas. He also said that Maynilad had already been supplying water to the affected areas from 2pm to 8pm daily.

Since water supply has started to stabilize in Navotas, Tiangco said that situation has become more manageable. He also said that they are already structuring a system harnessing fire trucks to deliver water to affected communities.