Technical group recommends reduction of Angat Dam’s allocation for irrigation

The technical working group (TWG) on Angat Dam operations will be recommending a reduction of water allocation for the irrigation needs of farmlands in Central Luzon next month as Angat Dam’s water level continues to drop on Thursday.

The TWG is composed of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and its concessionaires, National Irrigation Administration, National Power Corporation, and AHC Angat Hydropower Corporation.

It aims to sustainably manage the water in Angat Dam to ensure that the year-end elevation is sufficient to supply the multi-requirements on domestic supply, irrigation and energy at least until the first half of 2020, NWRB Executive Director Sevillo David Jr. said.

“Considering the recent decline of the water level in Angat Dam, the Angat TWG will be recommending to the NWRB to maintain the allocation for November of 40 cubic meters per second (cms) for MWSS and reduction for irrigation from 30 cms to 17 cms,” he pointed out.

Angat Dam is the main source of 96 percent of Metro Manila’s domestic water requirements and irrigation of about 27,000 hectares of farmlands in Bulacan and Pampanga.

However, David noted that NWRB is still managing water releases by not giving the normal allocation of 46 cubic meters per second (cms) for domestic water requirements.

As of Thursday, the water level in Angat Dam was slightly down to 187.49 meters from last Wednesday’s 187.53 meters.

Angat Dam’s level is still above the 180-meter normal operating level to be able to supply domestic and irrigation requirements but it is way below the 210-meter normal high water level during the rainy season.