Maynilad sets water service cut over power plant maintenance

Posted on 09:58 PM, September 26, 2010

SOME AREAS under west zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. will experience water service interruption from tomorrow until Friday due to maintenance work on Angat hydroelectric power plant.

Maynilad said in an advisory published yesterday that the affected areas are Caloocan, Quezon City, Las Piñas, Malabon and Valenzuela.

Areas that will have no water from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m on Sept. 28 to Sept. 30 are Barangay Bagong Barrio in Caloocan; Maysan, Marulas, Karuhatan and Gen. T. de Leon in Valenzuela; Potrero, Tugatong, Acacia, Dampalit, Tanza, Tangos, Hulong Duhat, San Jose and Sipac-Almacen in Malabon; CAA and Talon 1 in Las Piñas; and Batasan Hills, Bagong Silang, Holy Spirit and Nagkaisang Nayon in Quezon.

A longer service interruption period also from 6:00 a.m. to 9 p.m. will be experienced in Sauyo, Talipapa, Tandang Sora, Baesa and Bahay Toro in Quezon as well as barangays 158 to 164 in Caloocan on Sept. 28 to Oct. 1.

The company said other service areas within its concession will experience low pressure.

Plant shutdown

Maynilad said in the advisory that the service interruption will be caused by the shutdown of Angat hydroelectric power plant of National Power Corp. for repair and maintenance.

Rodolfo E. German, power plant manager, could not be reached for comment.

Cherubim G. Ocampo, Maynilad spokesman said the plant shutdown will significantly reduce output.

"We expect our water production to be reduced by over 20% from our normal water production level of 2.4 billion liters per day," said Ms. Ocampo in an e-mail response.

She added water from Ipo Dam, Angat dam’s runoff facility, "cannot provide the water supply requirements of Metro Manila and nearby areas."

East zone concessionaire Manila Water Co. could not be reached for comment.

Maynilad services Manila, Quezon, Makati, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila, and the municipalities of Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario in Cavite province.

Maynilad said in the advisory that it has prepared five static water tanks and 24 water tankers to augment supply of affected customers.

It added that customers should expect water discoloration during the period "due to the abnormal water supply level in Maynilad’s pipe network."

Flushing operations will be conducted to address the problem once the power plant resumes operations and water supply improves in the pipe network, the company said. -- E. N. J. David