By Cai U. Ordinario
ALTHOUGH the typhoon season is in full swing and torrents of rainfall should logically be an assurance that the dams from which Metro Manila gets its water supply are up to robust levels, residents are still being advised to keep their water tanks on standby. The megacity, according to the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), is not out of the water crisis yet.
At the sidelines of a water crisis hearing at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, NWRB Executive Director Sevillo D. David Jr. said as the city expands, the more water-stressed it becomes.
David told the BusinessMirror that each Filipino uses 120 liters per day. When this is multiplied by 14 million, which is the current population of Metro Manila, it translates to 1.68 million cubic meters (MCM) per day.
“If you save water, that’s already a resource. It will become an arbitrary resource. Since you were able to save water, you can use it for another day or [it can be used] by other people. So it should be a way of life,” David said.
He said water supply in Metro Manila has not yet recovered months after the recent artificial water crisis given the level of the Angat was still near the minimum. The Angat Dam is currently the primary source of water for the city.
In the hearing, David said that while the level of Angat is at 181.7 meters and is above the minimum operating level of 180 meters, this does not mean the megacity is “out of the woods” yet.
This is because this is still far from the normal high level of the Angat, which is around 210 to 220 meters.
In fact, David said, the normal water level of Angat of 180 meters has been breached more frequently in the past 5 to 10 years.
David said the lowest level reached by Angat in the last 10 years was in 2010 when it reached 157.55 meters and the second lowest was recorded this year at 157.96 meters.
“For the last five years, at least 10 years, the breaching of the 180 meters has become more frequent; the minimum operating level is 180 but that’s often breached, below 180. I think we can attribute that to the Angat accounting for almost 96 percent of the water supply of Metro Manila,” David said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“For the last 10 years, the population and development of Metro Manila continued and yet you only have one source. Demand is increasing. When populations double or triple, the demand for water is higher, sometimes five times or six times more,” he added.
David said this is why the government should now seriously consider tapping another water resource for Metro Manila.
Laguna Lake
Rep. Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon of the lone district of Muntinlupa said one option is to tap the Laguna Lake which is also proximate to Metro Manila.
While the quality of the water is not that high, Biazon believes it may be time to address this given the need for an additional water source for Metro Manila.
Biazon said Laguna Lake holds a lot of potential, not only for water but also for transportation and ecotourism. He said currently, the lake only benefits a few.
For its part, in a position paper read at the hearing, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) said issues on the use of the lake can be addressed through a master plan.
This plan will include, among others, dredging to reduce the silt in the lake. LLDA said it is “exploring” various financing options including Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and joint-venture agreements to undertake this project.
It may be noted that in 2009, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board approved the P18.5-billion Laguna de Bay Rehabilitation Project, which involves the dredging of Laguna Lake navigational lane and the entire 8-kilometer stretch of the Napindan Channel and developing a transport system, including the development of Laguna Ferry Systems and service repair centers.
Under that plan, around 12 ferry stations shall be constructed at the proposed sites and lakeshore areas reclaimed for wastewater treatment facilities; ports and marinas will be developed. Five areas are proposed for reclamation and four Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are proposed to be established at the site.
About P15.3 billion of the total project cost shall be funded by the Belgian government’s Super Subsidy Facility, while commercial loans coming from Belgian banks based on partial prepayment guarantees offered by the Belgian Export Credit Agency will be tapped for the remaining P3.2 billion. The project will be implemented from 2010 to 2012.
The project was canceled by the Aquino administration in 2012.
“With the renewed effort to clean up our different water bodies, including Manila Bay and Laguna Lake, it is hoped that Congress finds merit in our proposal to prioritize dredging of the lake and that necessary funds be allocated for the purpose,” the LLDA said in its position paper.
One major water project that is deemed to help supply Metro Manila with water is the P18.724-billion New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project.
The project is located in Barangay Pagsangahan, General Nakar, Quezon, and Barangay Magsaysay, Infanta, Quezon. The project is funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Chinese government.
Other projects include the the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, which will assure Metro Manila of an initial 80 million liters per day (MLD) of water.
Apart from these, there are other water projects to be implemented during the Duterte administration, such as the 150 MLD Putatan; 100 MLD Cardona; 188 MLD Sumag River Diversion Program; 80 MLD Kalawis; 50 MLD Rizal Wellfield; 250 MLD Lower Ipo-Unutilized Water from Angat-Norzagaray Phase 1; 100 MLD Poblacion Muntinlupa Water Treatment Plant 4-Laguna Lake; and 600 MLD Kaliwa Dam-Quezon Province.
Beyond the term of the administration, other projects include the 550 MLD Lower Ipo Unutilized Water from Angat-Norzagaray Phase 2; 420 MLD Wawa Dam; 750 MLD; Sierra Madre; 350 MLD Bayabas Dam; 1,800 MLD Kanan River Phase 1; and 250 MLD East Bay Laguna Lake. Also being considered are 2000 MLD Kanan River Phase 2, and 6000 MLD Laguna Lake.
Image credits: Bernard Testa, Cckdecena | Dreamstime.com