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Betty’s rains not enough to raise Bulacan dams water levels

By Manny Balbin

May 29, 2023, 6:15 pm

<p>Angat Dam <em> (File Photo)</em></p>

Angat Dam  (File Photo)

CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan – The water level in Angat Dam continues to drop amid the rains over the past few days.

Retired Col. Manny Lukban, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of (PDRRMO) Bulacan, said the rains being experienced by the country right now are not enough to increase the water level in the dam.

He said the water elevation of Angat Dam as of 8 a.m. on Monday was at 190.32 meters compared to 190.52 meters on Sunday.

"Hindi pa rin nakadagdag ng tubig sa mga dam yung nangyaring pag-ulan nung Friday at Saturday (The rains that happened last Friday and Saturday did not add water to the dams)," Lukban said in a phone interview.

He, however, said that the water elevation of the Angat dam is still 10.52 meters above its minimum operating level of 180 meters.

“But, it is 21.48 meters below its normal high water level of 212 meters,” he said.

Lukban expressed hope that Typhoon Betty could bring much-needed rain to the dam’s decreasing water level.

Angat Dam supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila's drinking water and contributes to the hydropower supply to the Luzon Grid and irrigation supply to Bulacan and parts of Pampanga's rice lands.

When the water elevation of Angat Dam falls to 180 meters, the dam’s water supply will be reserved for the raw water requirement for Metro Manila while the irrigation and hydropower supplies will be stopped.

Meanwhile, water elevations of Ipo and Bustos Dams also receded slightly in the past days.

Ipo Dam water level was monitored at 99.25 meters on Sunday and 99.13 meters on Monday morning as against its spilling level of 101.00 meters.

On the other hand, Bustos Dam’s water level was at 16.97 meters on Sunday and 17.01 meters on Monday morning. (PNA)

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