00:00 Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System or MWSS announced that it will reduce water pressure in houses in April
00:08 due to the continuous decrease of water levels in Angat Dam.
00:11 And now, we will watch live the manager of the Water and Sewerage Department of MWSS, Engineer Patrick James Dizon.
00:20 Good morning, Engineer. This is Maris and we are live with the first news.
00:23 Good morning, Maris. And thank you for inviting MWSS.
00:28 First of all, Engineer, let me make it clear. Water pressure will be reduced, not the water allocation.
00:35 Yes, that's right, Maris. Our allocation from Angat Dam will not be reduced.
00:42 And we will also make it clear that our customers will not lose water.
00:47 We will just reduce the strength or pressure of water.
00:51 So, this reduction of water pressure in our houses is what we call pressure management measures.
00:58 So, these are our strategies to manage the water coming from Angat Dam.
01:04 What are the places that will be affected?
01:06 Actually, for now, Maris, these are the places that are in high places.
01:13 So, when we reduce the pressure, our water will be weak during the off-peak hours.
01:21 And is the water pressure reduced daily or do you have a particular time?
01:27 These are the times, Maris, from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. where the utilization of our water is weak.
01:38 So, we do this, Maris, to manage the water coming from Angat Dam and to catch the losses in our system.
01:50 Alright. In your opinion, is it enough to reduce the water pressure to manage the water supply?
01:55 Now, we have El Nino. El Nino is on the rise.
01:59 Maris, we are part of the Angat Technical Working Group. We are part of the government agencies that manage Angat Dam.
02:07 We are continuously coordinating to manage Angat Dam.
02:12 So, in our opinion, Maris, this initiative will help us to reduce the effects of El Nino.
02:20 And now that El Nino is not yet over, what is the MWSS's plan, especially since the water level in Angat Dam is continuously decreasing?
02:27 Do we have additional steps that we can do? And what is the worst-case scenario that you see?
02:34 For now, Maris, our Angat Reservoir is at 200.72 meters.
02:41 So, since the beginning of this year, our reservoir is already at 17 centimeters.
02:49 But I would like to say that for our countrymen to understand that our reservoir, specifically in Angat Dam,
02:58 it is normal that it is decreasing from January to June, whether there is El Nino or not.
03:05 And because there is a prospect that there will be a so-called "lanina"
03:12 and this second half of this year will start, our water level in the reservoir will increase from July to December.
03:23 So, this month, based on our historical records, we will experience rain in our watersheds.
03:30 So, at least for now, we will just wait, we don't need to get tired in the DNR for cloud seeding activities in AFP?
03:39 Actually, Maris, we are coordinating with Pag-asa and our Philippine Air Force
03:45 if it is feasible to conduct cloud seeding.
03:48 We at the WSS are ready to deploy our cloud seeding parameters.
03:54 And I will just follow up, are there any new water resources that you plan to open?
03:59 Actually, Maris, for now, we have already implemented additional water sources.
04:04 We have already started these projects since last year and we are slowly finishing them.
04:12 Actually, Maris, the other ones are ready to operate this summer.
04:17 We have already built three new plants in Laguna Lake, two in Montilupa and one in Pakil, Laguna.
04:24 They have a total capacity of around 200 million liters per day.
04:28 So, yesterday, according to the report, we have already inaugurated another additional plant,
04:35 a modular water treatment plant that can treat water coming from Laguna Lake.
04:44 All right, that is exactly what we are experiencing right now.
04:47 Thank you very much for your time and for giving us the information.
04:53 Engineer Patrick James Dizon of MWSS. Good morning to you.
04:57 Good morning to all of us.
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