Angat Dam at lowest level

Amid the weak El Niño episode, the water level at Angat Dam in Bulacan has reached its lowest level in five years on Thursday, and could further decline to its 160-meter critical level in nine to 10 days.

According to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Elmer Caringal, there is an average decrease of 0.40 to 0.45 meters in the Angat Dam’s level everyday due to insufficient rain over the Angat watershed.

As of yesterday morning, the water reservoir’s level was down to 164.02 meters from last Wednesday’s 164.48 meters.

During an El Niño event in 2014, the water level at Angat Dam dropped to 162.74 meters. But the dam’s lowest level in history was at 157.57 meters in 2010, which was also recorded during an El Niño episode.

Since Angat Dam’s water level fell below its 180-meter minimum operating level last April, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) has suspended the allocation of water for the irrigation requirements of farmlands in Bulacan and Pampanga from Angat Dam.

NWRB also reduced the water allocation for Metro Manila households last June 1.

According to NWRB Executive Director Sevillo David Jr., NWRB along with PAGASA, National Irrigation Administration, National Power Corporation, and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and its concessionaires Maynila and Manila Water have agreed on some contingency plans and to maintain the 46 cubic meters per second that is being released for MWSS water supply requirements in case that the level of the dam will reach 160 meters.