by Catherine Teves/PNA
MANILA — The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) will implement soon the action plan for President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to address the water shortage being experienced by customers of water concessionaire Manila Water Company Inc. (MWCI).
The plan seeks to ease the burden of customers, who have to either scramble or spend hours waiting in line for water.
“We’ll mobilize fire brigades, mayors aside from the water concessionaires to end all that queuing,” MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco.
The MWSS will also be meeting with parties concerned to finalize the matter, Velasco noted.
President Duterte earlier ordered the MWSS to demand from water concessionaires and other concerned offices to release water from Angat Dam good for 150 days to address the water shortage.
Velasco, however, clarified the President’s order is not to literally draw that volume of water from Angat but to ensure the people get ample water supply.
“I know what the President means – he wants the water shortage problem solved so there won’t be queuing for water anymore,” Velasco said.
He said Angat releases water to MWCI and MWSS’ other concessionaire, Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI) at the rate of 4,000 million liters per day (MLD) only.
“We can’t increase that anymore,” he said, citing the current design limitations and infrastructure of the water distribution system.
