The water shortages currently gripping the more than one million residents of Metro Manila worsened on Monday as the reserves in Angat Dam, the Philippine capital's main source of water supply, reached a record low. The Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI), the government water service provider, said in a statement that the water level in Angat has reached 157.56 meters above sea level, which it said “is the lowest water level in history.” As a result, Maynilad officials said water rationing in Metro Manila is expected to last until rains start pouring heavily to replenish the dam. An estimated 1.126 million Metro Manila residents in 117 villages are currently enduring water service reductions for as long as six hours. Maynilad serves about seven million customers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Company officials said water allotments for Maynilad customers have been reduced by as much as 30 percent because of the dam's record-low reserves. The affected areas include seven cities -- Las Pinas, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Manila, and Para?aque. To help ease the problem, Maynilad has deployed water tankers to “severely affected” villages or those that have no water service for six hours. Maynilad gets 60 percent of the water allocated to Metro Manila from Angat dam. The remaining 40 percent is given to Manila Water Co. Inc. (MWCI), which serves the eastern portion of the metropolis. No water rationing has been announced by the MWCI for its five million customers.
