Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Horacio C. Ramos on Friday assured Metro Manila’s water supply is manageable even as he called for the implementation of three measures to ensure that the precious liquid will reach all taps.

Ramos staunched fears that faucets would run dry, and said even as the water level of Angat Dam declines, “the water situation facing Metro Manila and nearby provinces remains manageable.”

As of 6 a.m. last Friday, the dam’s water elevation was 193.33 meters, which is 4.65 meters below the normal level.

But Ramos he asked the public to conserve water “to avoid the worse scenario of water rationing.”

DENR is coordinating with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Service (MWSS), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) on plotting moves to ensure adequate water supply.

One way to compel conservation is to reduce water pressure and resort to delivery of water to areas with deficient supply.

Ramos said the three mitigating measures are the activation of 65 groundwater wells by the MWSS through its two water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water and this is expected to provide an additional 35 million liters per day (MLD), the operation of the Putatan water treatment plant of Maynilad and mobile treatment plants, which can bring in 35 MLD from the Laguna de Bay, and the reduction of Manila Water’s non-revenue water (NRW) through repair of leaks. Hopefully, this can supply the National Capital Region (NCR) with 287 MLD.

He explained that a drastic reduction of Maynilad’s NRW of 82 MLD will be necessary, along with backwash water recovery by the two water concessionaires amounting to about 39 MLD. Pressure management by Manila Water is good for 14 MLD.

Another measure is the implementation of the government’s 10-percent water conservation measure as per Administrative Order No. 278 issued by President Arroyo, which can save 7 MLD.

“We have to adopt these measures in order to ensure enough supply of water for the households in Metro Manila and for the irrigation of farmlands in Pampanga and Bulacan at least throughout the months of February until June. PAGASA has reported that by May we will be expecting at least one typhoon and one to two typhoons by June. This is the time that we welcome typhoons to bring in some rains in our dams,” Ramos said.

AO No. 278 directs all government agencies to adopt measures to address water shortage in Metro Manila to protect its 15 million people.

Under the order, DENR, through the NWRB, shall appropriately cut down water allocation and actual releases to the MWSS and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) effective January 2010.

DENR, NWRB, MWSS and the Public Information Agency (PIA) were also told to undertake an information, education and communication (IEC) campaign to encourage people to save water.