MALOLOS, Philippines — Adequate rainfall in Central Luzon has prompted operators of Angat Dam in Bulacan to suspend the irrigation supply in the province and some parts of Pampanga.
Robert de la Cruz, chief the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) office in Bulacan, said heavy downpour since Aug. 1 was enough to irrigate farmlands in areas served by Angat Dam.
Irrigation water from Angat is coursed through Bustos Dam, which distributes it throughout NIA’s north and south service areas in Bulacan and some parts of Pampanga.
De la Cruz said that since Aug. 1, heavy rain experienced at the upper stream of Bustos Dam resulted in the release of an average of 39 cubic meters per second of water.
The amount of water released from Bustos had little effect on the downstream Angat River System, according to Felicisima Mungcal of the Bulacan disaster risk reduction management office.
Records showed that as of Aug. 1, the water level in Angat Dam was at 177.7 cubic meters. Yesterday, the elevation was at 178.19 meters, or 1.81 meters below the dam’s minimum operating level of 180 meters.
Bustos’ water level on Aug. 1 was 17.27 meters, slightly higher than yesterday’s 17.26 meters.