The agency continues to encourage the public to be wise in the consumption of water because such practice, alongside the recent rains in watersheds, have led to the comfortable water level in the Angat Dam.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the government is set to tap private sector investments in the development of ,water assets starting this year.
This was one of the outcomes of DENR’s partnership with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) for the creation of the national environment and natural resources geospatial database.
Under the partnership, PhilSA develops and generates maps, systems and tools on a national level that analyze vulnerabilities and impacts of climate change and disasters, among others, using satellite imagery.
The partnership is timely as the country faces the El Niño phenomenon.
Dr. Carlos Primo David, DENR undersecretary for integrated environmental science, said as many as 292 water assets will be opened for private sector investments this 2024.
David said investments for water will be made through unsolicited proposals and will replicate the model used in securing the proponent for the Bulacan bulk water project.
David said proponents will be selected not by how much they can give to the government but by how cheap they can provide water to beneficiary local government units.
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said water in dams supplying Metro Manila and nearby provinces is sufficient to not cause any interruptions.
But Patrick James Dizon, MWSS division manager for Angat-Ipo operation management, earlier said interruptions may still occur to give way to leak repairs, maintenance of facilities and meter replacements.
The agency said that based on current water level trend in the Angat Dam, water supply will be sufficient even with the expected effect of El Niño until the second quarter of this year.
Still, the agency continues to encourage the public to be wise in the consumption of water as such practice, alongside the effects of recent rains in watersheds, have led in the comfortable water level in the Angat Dam.
The Angat Dam supplies raw water for the MWSS service areas in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal Provinces. It also provides water for irrigation services in Bulacan and Pampanga.
