MANILA — Five dams recorded a decrease in water level on Monday, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.

These are Angat, Ipo, La Mesa, Ambuklao, and San Roque.

Angat recorded the biggest decrease with 0.44 meters, followed by San Roque with 0.31 meters, and La Mesa with 0.04 meters.

Despite this, PAGASA hydrologist Sonia Serrano said the dams remain above their minimum operational level (MOL).

Angat, which supplies 90 percent of Metro Manila’s needs, for example, has a water level of 191.29 meters. Its MOL is 180 meters.

“Hindi pa naman dapat na mag-panic dahil mataas pa naman ang tubig natin sa Angat dam,” Serrano said.

(There is no reason to panic because the water level in Angat dam remains high.)

Pantabangan is the only dam that is below its MOL. The water level in Pantabangan is currently 173.37 meters while the MOL is 177 meters.

WATER INTERRUPTION?

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), meanwhile, cannot yet say if there will be water interruption in the coming days.

“Sa ngayon, hindi pa natin masasabi na magkakaroon ng interruption dahil ang ating allocation na nanggagaling sa Angat dam ay hindi pa binabawasan. Nasa 50CMS pa din po ngayon,” Engr. Patrick Dizon, manager of MWSS’ Water and Sewerage Management Department, said.

(We cannot determine yet if there will be water interruption because our allocation coming from Angat Dam has not yet decreased. It is still 50 cubic meters per second.)

According to Dizon, their Angat Technical Working Group will talk on Wednesday to decide if water allocation will be reduced.

Water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad have already laid out plans in addressing problems with the water supply.

“Since it was forecasted that this year will be an El Niño year which may expectedly result to reduced allocation from Angat Dam, Manila Water has been planning for contingencies way ahead of the onset (since early last year), through regular maintenance of facilities, water lines and equipment and continuous non-revenue water (NRW - or systems losses) recovery through aggressive leak repairs and pipe replacement projects,” Manila Water Corporate Communications Head Dittie Galang said.

She also assured customers that they will give advance notice in case of a water interruption.

Maynilad said they have been augmenting water supply by “tapping alternate raw water sources like deep wells and rivers.” It has also intensified its leak repair and pipe replacement.

“We’re doing everything we can to avoid service interruptions but if it comes to that, we will try to limit it to nighttime hours only,” Madel Zaide, Maynilad’s head of media relations, said.

Kim Israel, a cashier at a car wash in Quezon City, said they might stop operation if water supply is interrupted.

Anthony Santos, who owns an eatery, said they may opt to use mineral water but that would mean adding a bit more on the price of their food.