Angat Dam water level continues to drop, seen to breach 180-meter mark

DOWNWARD TREND The water level of Angat Dam continues to decline in the absence of rainfall.

Residents in Metro Manila should make a conscious effort to conserve water as the level of Angat Dam, which supplies water for majority of the metro, continues to dip in the absence of rainfall.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Friday said the dam’s water level is expected to breach the 180-meter low-water mark by Sunday.

Data from Pagasa pegged the dam’s water level at 180.73 m on Friday morning, lower than the previous day’s mark at 181.15 m. Its normal water level is at 212 m.

Pagasa hydrologist Jayson Bausa said that based on historic data, the water level in the reservoir drops from January to June due to the lack of rainfall.

170 meters by end of May

“Since the demand for water also increased a bit, the daily reduction in the dam also increased,” he said in an interview.

The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) said that at the rate of decline of Angat Dam’s water level, it may hit 170 meters by the end of May.

But the NWRB assured the public that despite the low levels, service for irrigation and households would remain uninterrupted.

However, the dam’s supply for irrigation has been reduced to 10 cubic meters per second from 35 cubic meters per second.

Located in Norzagaray, Bulacan province, Angat Dam supplies around 90 percent of water to Metro Manila through the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

Conserve water

Bausa said the downward trend would continue until the rainy season begins.

“So the public must really conserve water because we still have two months ahead before the rainy season begins,” he said.