Angat Dam water level dips further despite rains
CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan, Philippines — Despite occasional rains in the past days, the water elevation at Angat Dam, which supplies 97 percent of drinking water in Metro Manila, continues to drop below 190 meters above sea level (small).
On Monday, water at the dam reservoir was at 188.45 masl, or a slight drop from the 188.49 masl recorded on Sunday.
Since last week, the water level was between 188 and 189 masl, approaching its minimum operating level of 180 masl. The dam’s normal elevation is at 212 mask.
But dam officials said they were expecting an increase in the water level with the start of the rainy season. At nearby Bustos Dam, which catches Angat’s runoff rainwater and water discharges, the water level was only 14 masl, below its spilling level of 17.34 masl.
The dwindling elevation at Bustos Dam allowed for the repair of one of the rubber gates that had air leaks.
Larry Ballesteros, provincial manager of the National Irrigation Administration, said cracks were found on Gate 5 in 2018.
—Carmela Reyes-Estrope
