Reduced water allocation from Angat Dam to continue

MALOLOS, Philippines — The water level in Angat Dam did not reach its ideal end-of-the-year mark of 212 meters.

Monitoring by the Bulacan provincial disaster risk reduction and management office showed that as of 8 a.m. yesterday, the dam’s water level was 10.49 meters short of its ideal mark.

Sevillo David Jr., executive director of the National Water Resources Board, told The STAR this means that reduced water allocation for Metro Manila residents and irrigation of Bulacan and Pampanga farms would be maintained.

Water supply for Metro Manila’s consumption remains at 40 cubic meter per second, six cms less than its regular allocation.

The allocation for Metro Manila will return to 46 cubic meters per second if the dam’s water level will reach 212 meters, David had earlier said.

Daily rotational service interruptions were previously implemented because of low water elevation in Angat and Ipo dams.

Angat Dam supplies 97 percent of Metro Manila’s water needs.

Water for irrigation of Bulacan and Pampanga farms is still at 10 cms. The normal allocation is 30 cms.

Bustos Dam supplies water to irrigate 12,000 hectares of rice fields in Bulacan and 9,000 hectares in Pampanga, but the bulk of the allocation comes from Angat Dam.

David said cloud seeding might be conducted in the watershed of Angat Dam as part of the contingency plans to raise the water level.