uu--Econo
Regulator considering
tapping water supply of
provinces near NCR
THE Local Water Utilities Ad- water," said Mr. dela Cruz during
ministration (LWUA) said it may the House inquiry
tap the water supply of nearby ,/-Separately, the House com-
provinces to augment Metro Ma-
. nila's dwindling allocation.
LwltA acting administrator
Jeci.d Lapus also proposed that
water concessionaires Maynilad
Wter Services Inc. and Manila
Water Cq Inc. should also help
transport the water from prov-
inces near the National Capital
Region (NCR).
"The measure could be taken
to touch base 1rritlr tlre local water
districts surrounding Metro Ma-
nila to assist in the needs of the
city. Pero ang (But) Metro Manila
(has) two million households,
(while) Lagun4 Cavite, arld Bu-
lacal (liave only about.gso,Ooo
households). .Kqng hihingi tayo
dun Ofwe ask for their water), it
worft even pover half or a third of
the needs of the city," Mr^ Lapus
said during a House of Repre-
sentatives hearing on the water
crisis.
:: lryater elevation at Angat Dam
last dropped 'below the critical
'istel of roo meters on July 13,
2OlO when it registereda low of
157.57 meters, during an ElNifro
dry spell.
, Manila Water iresident and
GEo Ferdinand M. dela Cruz and
Maynilad counteipart Ramoncito
' S. Fernandez u'elcomed the pro-
p6sal to source water from nearby
provinces,
"Manila Water welcomes any
additionil supply to support the
supply deficit of Angat Dam..,
and to find a way to tlansport the
/mittees on Metro Manila Devel-
opment and Public Works and
Highways adopted Speaker Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo's House Bill
8068, which seeks the creation of
the Department of Water.
Mr. Lapus cited the need for
one bodyto addressing and man-
age water cdses.
"There should be a body aa
magi-isip pata sa lahat (that
will think for everyone)...W-hat
we_waq! is an integration of all
water agencies into one, as what
was sponsored by the Speaker,
the House Bill 8068, the creation
of the Department of Water," he
said.
Bulacan l"! district Rep, Jose
Antonio R Sy-Alvaradq who pre-
sided overtle hearing said tlte cre-
ation of such agency is "overdue."
"Yan ay talagang long over-
dae na kailangan na kailangan ng
bansang Pilipinas kasi nakikita
ndmqn nqtin yung mismanage-
ment ng turrg," he said. (That is
long overdue because the country
needs it given the mismanage-
meht of t}le water supply).
He also proposed building
more dams and augmenting ca-
pacity at Arigat Dam.
Ml Arroyo said her bill could
be endorsed to the upcoming 186
Congress.
"If the committee members
will agree, they can endorse the
creation of Department of Wate!
to tlle next Congress," she said. -
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