West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) will suspend starting tonight, November 16, the daily off-peak water service interruptions (9 p.m. to 4 a.m.) that affected 56% of its customers from November 13 to 15, and revert to pressure management instead.

This as the release of additional supply from Angat Dam increased water elevation at Ipo Dam and La Mesa Portal facilities where the water concessionaires get their respective share of the allocation. The additional allocation was requested by the water concessionaires through the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), and was approved by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) last November 11.

From the current month’s reduced allocation of 38 cubic meters per second (CMS), the allocation for MWSS concessionaires has been temporarily increased to 45 CMS until November 23.

With this increased allocation, Maynilad can meet the water requirements of its customers despite continued lack of rains over the Ipo watershed due to El Niño.

Last November 13, Maynilad had to do an emergency re-implementation of daily off-peak service interruptions to manage the low volume of water reaching its treatment plants. The company could not sustain its usual water output owing to the reduced allocation and continued lack of rains over the watersheds.

Maynilad will give two days’ advance notice should its service levels be affected after the temporary increase of raw water allocation from Angat Dam is lifted.