THE southwest monsoon has to bring in much need water for Angat Dam, as water in the vital reservoir dipped further at 162.39 meters as of Wednesday, June 19.

But the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) is optimistic that the much needed water would be brought in by rains this July.

Weather Division head Esperanza Cayanan said they expect more rains to come in July and the water level at Angat to gradually increase at that time.

Water at the vital dam had not been replenished since the prevailing El Niño phenomenon had off set the expected rains for the season.

El Niño is likely to last up to November this year, according to Pagasa.

Angat Dam supplies 90 percent of the domestic water supply of Metro Manila. It also supplies irrigation to 20,000 hectares of farmland in Bulacan while 2,000 hectares of Pampanga’s farmlands in Candaba and border lands of San Luis and Santa Ana also get their water supply from the dam.

Angat Dam reached its lowest level at 157.76 meters in July 2010, an El Niño year, which prompted authorities to temporarily stop operations. Located in Barangay San Lorenzo (Hilltop) in Norzagaray, Bulacan, the dam also powers the Angat hydroelectric power plant.

The 131-meter-high dam impounds water from the Angat River that forms the greater Angat Lake.