#WalangTubig – Maynilad reduces water supply to 850,000 homes to avoid contamination
In a move that caught many of its customers off guard, Maynilad Water Service dramatically reduced or downright cut off the water supply for 850,000 households beginning Sunday morning.
In an announcement on its official Facebook page, the water utility company said that the reduction in the water production at La Mesa Treatment Plants 1 and 2 is a necessary step due to the increase in the turbidity level of raw water from Ipo Dam.
According to the United States Geological Survey, turbidity is the measure of the relative clarity of a liquid. In other words, high turbidity levels means the liquid is cloudier or more opaque. Maynilad explained that because of the continuous monsoon rains, the turbidity level increased as soil eroded from the Ipo watershed area into the dam.
“Normal turbidity in Ipo Dam is at 300 nephelometric units (NTU). As of yesterday, this level has increased to 1,600 NTU, forcing Maynilad to reduce the output of its La Mesa Treatment Plants 1 and 2 by 400 million liters per day (MLD) so it can remove the increased sediments from the raw water,” the water company continued.
According to Maynilad, around 850,000 households or 66% of the West Zone are currently experience low pressure to no water, as well as some discoloration in the water supply.
Speaking to radio station DZBB, Maynilad spokesperson Grace Laxa said that water production will return to its normal level of 2,300 million liters per day when the turbidity levels in Angat Dam are back to normal.
Laxa added that the water utility company will be deploying 54 water tankers to the affected areas to deliver potable water. She said affected residents can call the Maynilad hotline, 737-3311, to request for a water tanker in their area.
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