MANILA, Philippines - The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) has approved a standby allocation of one cubic meter per second for La Mesa dam following the recent drop of its water level to below normal.
NWRB executive director Sevillo David said the water allocation is on top of the 46 cubic meter per second releases from Angat Dam.
“This standby allocation, also to be sourced from Angat Dam, can be released, if needed, for La Mesa Dam,” David added.
This developed after the multi-agency technical working group headed by the NWRB made the recommendation for additional water allocation for La Mesa Dam.
As of 2 p.m. yesterday, monitoring of dam operators showed the dam’s water level at 78.13 meters, about 0.87-1.17 meters below its normal level of 79-79.3 meters.
Earlier, La Mesa Dam had been placed under red alert status after its water level fell to 78.39 meters.
A concerned official explained the high demand for water caused the drop in the dam’s water level.
La Mesa Dam shift head Ariel Tapel said it is unusual that water in the dam goes below its normal level.
“Water dips during summertime but usually, it doesn’t fall below its normal level,” he said.
Tapel added that the dam administration will continue to issue advisory and reminders for concerned residents to conserve water.
David said the water level is relatively low but manageable.
“Nevertheless, we are still appealing for the responsible and wise use of water by the public,” he added.