By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
Angat Dam’s water level dropped to 159.95 meters as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, June 30, falling below the critical 160-meter level, based on monitoring by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
The reservoir fell from 160.71 meters the previous day and is now about 50 meters below its normal high water level of 210 meters.
PAGASA had earlier attributed the decline in Angat Dam’s water level to lower-than-expected rainfall over the Angat watershed.
The 160-meter level is considered critical under the National Water Resources Board-led interagency operating protocol for Angat Dam.
During the 2019 water crisis, authorities reduced Metro Manila’s water allocation after the reservoir fell below the threshold and shifted water releases to the dam’s Low Level Outlet.
According to PAGASA, Angat Dam last fell below the 160-meter mark in 2010 and 2019, both during El Niño years.
PAGASA has also declared that El Niño conditions are currently present in the tropical Pacific.
Despite the latest decline, PAGASA expects Angat Dam’s water level to begin recovering by the second or third week of July as rainfall increases during the southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” season.
“’Yung recovery period is still by the second or third week of July and we are expecting Angat’s water level to continuously rise until the end of the year,” PAGASA weather specialist Jofren Habaluyas said during the June 24 climate forum.
PAGASA projects the reservoir may reach 176.33 meters by July 31, assuming a water allocation of 48 cubic meters per second and cumulative basin rainfall of 493.2 millimeters.
