PAGASA warns low water level in dams likely to continue

The state weather bureau over the weekend said there may be difficulties in achieving the optimal water level in local dams, given the low rainfall and the heat index reaching its highest so far this year.

According to PAGASA Weather Specialist Oyie Pagulayan, the bulk of the water supply in dams comes from rainfall but there has not been enough lately to reach the prescribed levels.

“Almost 50% ang dinudulot po ng mga tropical cyclone, so kung wala po tayong bagyo talagang pwedeng magkaroon ng increase pero ‘yung gusto natin, ‘yung talagang significant talaga na pagtaas sa ating mga reservoirs ay baka hindi po natin ma-attain,” she said in a report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

[Almost 50% of the supplies are from tropical cyclones so if we do not have any, the water levels can increase but we will have difficulties in reaching a significant increase in our reservoirs.]

Data from PAGASA shows a decline in the water levels of several dams nearby Metro Manila as of 6 a.m. on Sunday, March 13, with the main source Angat Dam down by 0.14 meters to 194.05 meters.

The level in Pantabangan Dam fell 0.33 meters to 192 meters, and the Magat Dam level dropped by 0.15 meters to 169.08 meters.

Minimal increases were recorded in other dams— La Mesa Dam up 0.02 meters to 78.33 meters, Ipo Dam up 0.11 meters to 98.83 meters, the Ambuklao Dam up 0.07 meters to 746.10 meters, while the Caliraya dam was at 286.32 meters.

This comes with the high temperatures recorded so far, with Dagupan recording a heat index of 51 degrees Celsius on March 6.

Just last month, the regulatory office of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) penalized Maynilad Water Services Inc. for its “unusual and prolonged” service interruptions in the past months. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News