(Eagle News) — The head of Maynilad’s water supply operations on Friday, March 15, denied allegations the water shortage in some parts of Metro Manila and Rizal was because of a closed structural bypass at La Mesa dam that favors that water concessionaire.
In an interview over radio dzbb, Engr. Ronaldo Padua said in the first place, the bypass that one Angel Salazar had demanded be opened to address the shortage of water in areas covered by the other concessionaire, Manila Water, has been open for two years.
In a series of comments to the Facebook page of Patrick Ty, chief of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System that regulates both Maynilad and Manila Water, Salazar, who claimed to have worked at the MWSS from 1982 to 2012, had blamed the water regulator for the shortage, saying it was its board that ordered the bypass closed to allow for all the water to go to Maynilad instead.
Salazar, who said she managed the headworks at MWSS since 1982, said this led to the “drying up” of La Mesa dam, where Manila Water primarily gets its water to service its customers.
According to Padua, secondly, the bypass was controlled by Manila Water itself as it was one of its assets.
He said as it is, the opening and closure of the bypass was being regulated by that water concessionaire.
“Isa ito sa tools to ensure na nakukuha ni Maynilad ang 60 percent ng tubig (from Angat dam) at ng Manila Water ang 40 percent..,” Padua said.
He said the 60-40 arrangement was based on the number of customers of each water concessionaire, with Maynilad servicing more customers than the other.
