Angat Dam water level may normalize this month: PAGASA

FILE: Angat Dam, in Norzagaray, Bulacan, Philippines (Photo By Nikbert16 at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., CC BY 3.0)

MANILA – Angat Dam’s water level may reach the 180-meter minimum operating level (MOL) as Luzon is expected to experience more rain, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said on Saturday.

PAGASA hydrologist Richard Orendain said the continuous rain can increase the volume of water in the reservoir.

“A daily average rise of 0.30 meter to 0.40 meter can bring Angat’s water level to the MOL by this month’s end,” he said, taking into account the 36 cubic meters per second water allocation of the dam for Metro Manila.

Orendain said tropical cyclones (TCs), low-pressure areas, the southwest monsoon (habagat) and thunderstorms can still bring rain to Luzon including the watershed hosting Angat.

Angat Dam supply for irrigation, power generation, and Metro Manila’s water needs.

The government earlier suspended the release of Angat water for irrigation, if its water level dips, to ensure a continuous water supply for Metro Manila.

This year, Angat Dam’s water dipped below the MOL due to El Niño phenomenon or the prolonged dry spell.

For August, PAGASA has forecast two to four TCs in the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), one of which became Typhoon Hanna (international name Lekima).

PAGASA reported that Angat’s 6 a.m. water level on Saturday was at 172.31 meters, which is 1.43 meters higher than the 170.88 meters elevation 24 hours earlier.

Orendain said ‘Hanna’, which exited the PAR, helped Angat recover by enhancing “habagat,”

“Even if TCs don’t landfall, these weather systems can still enable “habagat” to bring more rain,” he said.