Ramon, Sarah fail to fill Angat Dam

MALOLOS, Philippines – Rains spawned by Typhoon Ramon and severe Tropical Storm Sarah failed to increase the water level of Angat Dam, the primary source of water for Metro Manila residents.

Monitoring by the provincial disaster risk reduction management office (PDRRMO) of Bulacan showed that the water elevations of Angat Dam have been decreasing in the past days.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that when tropical depression Ramon started moving toward Luzon on Nov. 13, the PDRRMO of Bulacan monitored the water elevation of Angat Dam at 188.45 meters. It has since been sliding down slowly until it was monitored yesterday at 187.27 meters.

The water level as of yesterday morning was only 7.27 meters above the dam’s minimum operating level of 180 meter and is 24.73 meter below the ideal 212-meter end-of-the-year water level, which is five weeks and five days away.

The National Water Resources Board has found the situation unfavorable for a steady supply of potable water for the summer months and decided to slash the water allocation for Metro Manila, which eventually led to rotational water service interruptions in several service areas of the two concessionaires of the Metropolitan Waterworks Sewerage System.

On the other hand, dam officials usually stop the water allocation for the irrigation supply of Bulacan and some parts of Pampanga rice lands when the water elevation of Angat Dam reaches the 180-meter mark.

Sarah intensifies

PAGASA said Sarah has intensified further while moving northwestward over the Philippine Sea.

At 4 p.m. yesterday, Sarah’s center was estimated at 255 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes, based on all available data.

With maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph, Sarah is moving northwest at 10 kph.

At the same time, the remnant low-pressure area of Ramon, which was downgraded to a tropical depression after hitting the country as a typhoon, was estimated at 400 kilometers west southwest of Subic, Zambales, based on available data.

PAGASA said light to moderate rains with some isolated heavy rainshowers were experienced over Isabela, Cagayan, particularly on the eastern section, and Northern Aurora due to the trough of Sarah.

Residents in these areas are advised to continue monitoring for updates.

PAGASA also noted that gusty conditions would prevail over the northern and western sections of Northern Luzon, especially in the coastal and mountainous areas due to the surge of the northeast monsoon.