Angat Dam water level drops despite rains

CITY OF MALOLOS, Philippines —Despite the rains experienced in late afternoon and early evening in Bulacan over the past several days, the water level at Angat Dam continues to decline.

Data provided by Maricel Cruz, chief of the provincial public affairs office of Bulacan, showed that water level in the dam since last Saturday was recorded at 170.70 meters, going down to 170.49 meters on Sunday, 170.19 meters on Monday, 169.88 on Tuesday, 169.79 meters on Wednesday and 169.63 meters Thursday morning.

Last Tuesday Angat Dam water level went down to 169.88 meters or more than 10 meters below the 180 meters critical level of the dam that supplies 97 percent of potable water to Metro Manila residents.

Earlier, Sevillo David Jr., executive director of the National Water Resources Board, confirmed to The STAR that the water level in Angat Dam has breached its critical water level of 180 meters on April 28 this year when it hit 179.97 meters.

Mary Joy David, project development officer II of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), earlier said the agency started conducting cloud seeding operations since April 10 this year in an effort to bring rains in the vicinity of La Mesa Dam in Quezon City to help replenish the dwindling water level in the water reservoir that supplies the bulk of potable water to Metro Manila.

However, it is not clear if the BSWM is still continuing to conduct cloud-seeding operations as rains have been falling inside the watershed areas of Bulacan in the last several days.