Angat Dam allocation cut for Metro Manila won’t have significant impact on water supply —NWRB

The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) on Saturday said the reduction of water allocation from Angat Dam for Metro Manila will not have a significant impact on the region’s water supply situation.

“Ayon sa pakikipag-ugnayan natin sa MWSS (Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System) ay wala naman tayong nakikitang significant na pagbabago sa supply ng tubig sa Metro Manila sa kadahilanang may mga panakanakang pag-ulan na nararanasan natin sa Metro Manila ay nakakakuha tayo ng ekstrang tubig sa maliliit na reservoir ng MWSS —Ipo Dam at La Mesa Dam,” Sevillo David Jr., NWRB executive director, said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

“Itong mga ekstrang tubig na ito ay nakakatulong po ito bukod sa tubig na nanggagaling sa Angat Dam,” David said.

The NWRB reduced allocation for MWSS from Angat Dam to 46 cubic meters per second (cms) from 48 cms as the dam’s water level dropped to 178.01 meters as of Friday morning — below the more than 180 meters minimum operating level. 

“Itong pagbabawas ng tubig galing sa Angat at pagma-manage ng supply... upang mapabagal ang pagbaba ng tubig bago ang mga inaasahang pag-ulan,” David said.

PAGASA has said insufficient rain was the cause of the continuous dip in water level in the country’s major dams.

“July dapat mataas na siya pero ‘yung southwest [monsoon], ‘yung mga bagyo natin halos hindi naman naka-apekto sa mga mino-monitor nating major dams. So halos hindi lahat sila tumaas o ang iba nag-continuous ang pagbaba, partikular nga itong Angat Dam,” PAGASA hydrologist Elmer Caringal said.

Despite this, the weather agency sees hope in the following weeks.

“Ang bigay na projected forecast or info ng kabilang division is 380 millimeters of rainfall. Kinompute namin siya. Ang magiging total elevation ng Angat by the end of October is 186.23 (meters),” Caringal said.

The NWRB chief advised the public to conserve water while the country awaits significant rainfall in the coming months.

“Magtipid-tipid po tayo para makatulong sa pagpapabagal ng pagbaba ng Angat Dam para may sapat tayong supply habang hinihintay ang pag-ulan,” David said. —KG, GMA News