Water shortage in Manila Philippines due to poor infrastructure and lack of rain

[Nachy]

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/12/19/explainer-why-is-there-a-water-shortage-in-metro-manila

https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/tvpatrol/03/10/20190311-water2.jpg

Residents line up for water rationed by Manila Water in Barangay Highway
Hills, Mandaluyong City on March 11, 2019. The Manila Water Company has
limited the supply of water, believed to last through out the summer
season, to residents in some places in Metro Manila owing to the
critically low level of the La Mesa Dam reservoir.

Long lines of residents carrying pails and basins. Empty water
containers piled outside water stations. Firetrucks inside condominium
complexes with half-filled pools and waterless faucets. This has become
the new norm in 200 or so barangays in Metro Manila in the last six
days. 

According to Manila Water, which serves the East Zone of Metro
Manila, around 52,000 households relying on their supply currently do
not have water. This number does not include those experiencing low
water pressure. 

For a while, the problem was lumped with the effects of El Niño. But
Manila Water officials on Tuesday clarified that the dry season is not
solely to blame for the water shortage.

“It is correct to say El Niño aggravated it. Because there is so
little rain nowadays,” Manila Water Chief Operating Officer Geodino
Carpio said, explaining that rainfall could have filled up La Mesa Dam
which serves as their emergency water source.

But Carpio explained that it is more of a supply and demand problem.

Most of Metro Manila’s water comes from Angat Dam, as distributed by Manila Water (east zone) and Maynilad (west zone). 

With 1.4 million service connections (9.5 million people), Maynilad
gets 60 percent of the raw water allocation or around 2.4 billion liters
of water a day. Meanwhile, Manila Water, with 1,058,880 service
connections (6.8 million people) gets 40 percent or 1.6 billion liters a
day based on their concession agreement. This ratio has been the case
since 1997.

Currently, Angat Dam’s water level, according to Maynilad, is at a
manageable level. This is why Maynilad is not expecting any immediate
water shortage on their part. Also, besides Angat Dam, Maynilad gets 7
percent of its water supply from Laguna Lake and deep wells. 

Manila Water, on the other hand, has an average deficit of 140
million liters a day because of their increasing service connections.

Since 2016, Manila Water has relied on the buffer supply from La Mesa Dam to augment the deficit.

However, Manila Water’s La Mesa Dam reached its lowest level
in 12 years recently. This means the company can no longer rely on
their emergency supply of rain water collected from the La Mesa
Watershed. And it is highly likely that the situation will improve until
summer ends and the dam is refilled by rainwater.

This affected our area for the past few days as well and it really sucks. Can't even take a shower comfortably and have to ration out water both for drinking and cleaning. Doesn't help the summer heat is scorching on top of that.

[proboardslol]

let's pool money and mail @Nachy water bottles

[Nachy]

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/446204101976889820/C70066661ECB7DA505ACEB5433680064ED70BA95/?imw=1024

[proboardslol]

or iodine tablets or a filter or something it can't be that expensive right

[Nachy]

In seriousness, the part that really makes it difficult is that we are far from an actual water source on our area. The ones who are miles away from here next to the Manila Bay are luckier since they can go with the filter/iodine tablet route. (Water filters are also also somewhat of a standard here because water straight from the faucet is unsafe to drink for the past century here).

But specifically here in our area, we literally don't have any nearby water source other than buying gallons of water on the supermarket (which are also running low due to said shortage).

What we've been doing so far is leaving our faucets on all day in hopes it flows water for an hour or so and then save that to hopefully last for a day or two. Really hoping we can get a proper solution soon enough.

[Timidity]

Damn, hope you're holding out fine atm

I'm lucky to not be affected by this, but I know a lot of people who are

[Gazhelmet]

That really sucks @Nachy We're almost suffering the same here, and you still haven't been lucky enough to look for water elsewhere? or you're too far away. the other would be to go to other places to collect the water because from what you say, it's better before the supermarket runs out of water.

or any other Philippine FPs who do not have problems with water help each other since It's so uncomfortable and depressing to suffer that.

[Nachy]

We're holding out alright for the most part. At the moment it's a very inconvenient thing, but thankfully the neighborhood had been able to share water here day by day. Still have to ration them out but it's enough for the moment at least so that we can still get our needs for the past few days. Hopefully it won't get prolonged at least or else we'd be in real trouble.

I heard as well about what's going on there in Venezuela @Gazhelmet so hoping for the best for you all there as well.