The water level of Angat Dam in Bulacan saw a significant increase of 10.74 meters over the past week, based on the latest data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
From 183.58 meters on Sept. 1, Angat Dam’s water level was at 194.32 meters on Sept. 8.
The significant rise in Angat Dam’s water level can be attributed to the recent rainfall brought by Typhoon “Enteng” (Yagi) and the cyclone-enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat).
Angat Dam, which supplies 98 percent of Metro Manila’s water needs, began to show a gradual recovery in July.
However, the seven-day increase in Angat Dam’s water level provides a much-needed boost to overall water availability, particularly as the dam has stabilized after experiencing declining levels worsened by this year’s El Niño event.
Despite the recent increase, the dam still needs an additional 15.68 meters to reach its normal high water level of 210 meters and ensure adequate water supply during the next dry season.
Meanwhile, most dams in Luzon have also experienced a gradual increase in their respective water levels due to heavy rainfall last week.
However, the latest data show that San Roque Dam in Pangasinan, Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija, and Magat Dam in Isabela still require significant additional water to reach their normal levels.
Based on PAGASA’s 24-hour monitoring, San Roque Dam’s water level was at 259.82 meters, or 20.18 meters below its normal high water level of 280 meters.
Pantabangan Dam’s water level was at 193.87 meters, 22.13 meters below its normal high of 216 meters.
Meanwhile, Magat Dam’s water level was at 185.05 meters, 4.95 meters short of its normal high of 190 meters.