THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has reiterated its call for wise water consumption as water woes may still prevail with Angat Dam’s water level dipping further to 161.22 meters as of 6 a.m. on Sunday, July 7, 2019.
Pagasa said this was lower than the 161.45 meters recorded Saturday morning, July 6. Water level in the dam dipped below the critical level of 160 meters last week, but rains brought by the monsoon rains have managed to raise water level beyond the critical level. However, levels are yet far from sustainable margins.
Manila Water said rotational water service interruptions for its customers will persist.
Pagasa said it would take several days of rain before the dam reaches its normal level. The dam’s normal water level is 212 meters, while its critical level for drinking water is 160 meters.
Current domestic supply is 36 cubic meters per second (cms), down from 40 cms since the Angat Dam breached its 160-meter critical level last June. This means that the four cms additional reduction in water allocation is already equivalent to the consumption of almost 700,000 consumers per day.
The dam’s water level is barely meters from reaching its lowest level in July 2010 if not for the slight increase.
Angat Dam reached its lowest level at 157.76 meters in July 2010, an El Niño year, which prompted authorities to temporarily stop operations. 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, 2,000 hectares of Pampanga’s farmlands in Candaba, and border lands of San Luis and Santa Ana.