Angat Dam rises 30 meters in three weeks of rain
CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan — Nearly three weeks of rains brought by Tropical Cyclones Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon, or habagat, have raised Angat Dam’s water level by about 30 meters, bringing it back to its minimum operating level of 180 meters above sea level (masl) on Friday, Aug. 14.
The reservoir stood at 179.85 masl at 6 a.m. and rose to 180.37 masl by 11 a.m., according to the latest report from the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
Just three weeks earlier, on July 26, Angat Dam reached its lowest recorded level of 150.55 masl, surpassing its previous record low of 157 masl set in June 2010.
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On Aug. 8, the reservoir remained at a critical level of 159.29 masl, below the 160-masl threshold.
Rains brought by Tropical Cyclone Luis in late July, followed by Maymay in the first week of August and the enhanced habagat, rapidly replenished the reservoir.
From 161.30 masl at 6 a.m. on Aug. 9, the water level surged to 170.70 masl by 11 a.m. the following day.
The reservoir gained about 10 meters in just four days. Despite reaching 180.37 masl, however, it remains about 30 meters below its normal high-water elevation of 210 to 212 masl.
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Angat Dam supplies about 97 percent of Metro Manila’s water requirements. It also supports hydroelectric power generation, domestic water needs in Bulacan and irrigation of more than 27,000 hectares of rice farms benefiting over 22,000 farmers in 17 Bulacan towns and four towns in Pampanga.
The reservoir had plunged to a record-low 150.55 masl on July 26 amid the prolonged dry spell associated with El Niño.
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At the height of the extreme heat on May 11 and 12, the reservoir stood at 179.79 masl and 180.15 masl, respectively.
Angat Dam last reached 210.29 masl this year on Jan. 18. /das
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