Runoff water from the mountains due to typhoon Quinta's rains had pushed the water level of Angat Dam in Bulacan to rise significantly to almost 5 meters on Tuesday.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Based on the monitoring of the Hydro-Meteorology Division of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Angat Dam's water level has increased to 198.80 meters on Tuesday from 194.10 meters last Monday.
The dam's water level has been inching closer to its 210-meter normal high water level in the past few weeks due to rains from recent weather systems, particularly typhoon Quinta.
National Water Resources Board (NWRB) Executive Director Sevillo David Jr. said that rainfall projections of the PAGASA and the prevailing La Niña show that the normal high water level of 212 meters will be reached by the end of December this year.
With this development, David said the board has approved a higher water allocation of 46 cubic meters per second, equivalent to around 4,000 million liters per day, for domestic use starting Nov. 1.
It is higher than the 44 cubic meters per second approved for October, which is being distributed by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to water utilities Maynilad and Manila Water.
Angat Dam supplies the domestic water requirements of at least 16.5 million consumers in Metro Manila and some parts of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, and Bulacan; irrigation needs of 28,000 hectares of agricultural land in Bulacan and Pampanga; and hydropower generation from its by-product water releases.
David said they will implement lower allocation for irrigation from 30 cubic meters per second to 15 cubic meters per second that is being distributed by the National Irrigation Administration to the farmlands in Central Luzon.
He, however, assured that the lower allocation for irrigation may only bring minimal effect on farms in Bulacan and Pampanga as it is already harvesting season in these provinces.
Aside from Angat Dam, other dams being monitored by PAGASA have higher water levels on Tuesday.
Ambuklao Dam saw an increase in its water level from 749.38 meters to 750.77 meters; San Roque Dam (from 247.41 meters to 247.91 meters); Pantabangan Dam (193.11 meters to 193.54 meters); and Magat Dam (189.75 meters to 190.20 meters).
Meanwhile, Ipo Dam, Binga Dam, and Magat Dam are still releasing water due to continuous gradual increase in their water levels from the recent rains.