Angat Dam drops to minimum operating level

MANILA, Philippines — The water level in Angat Dam is down to its minimum operating level.

As of 8 a.m. yesterday, the water elevation in the dam was at 180.07 or .33 meters lower compared to the previous day.

The water level was 31.93 meters below its normal high of 212 meters.

Despite the drop in the dam’s water level, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said it would ask the National Water Resources Board to increase the water allocation for Metro Manila consumers from 49 cubic meters per second to 52 cms.

Patrick Dizon, MWSS water and sewerage management department head, said the 52 cms water allocation is based on the projection of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration that the rainy season would start in June.

“As agreed... the (additional) three cms will be borrowed from the National Irrigation Administration. Based on our agreed protocol, NIA’s allocation will be cut once the elevation reaches 180 meters,” Dizon said.

Angat Dam supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water needs and provides for the irrigation of 25,000 hectares of agricultural land in Bulacan and Pampanga.

Meanwhile, the water elevation in five other dams in Luzon increased due to heavy rainfall being experienced in the past several days.

These are in Ipo, Ambuklao, Binga, Magat and Pantabangan Dams.