Water levels at La Mesa, Angat below normal level

June 15, 2019

Water levels in La Mesa and Angat dams are below normal level as the weather bureau declared the rainy season began on Friday.

  A day after the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) made the announcement, data showed water levels in Angat and La Mesa Dam remain below normal level. 

  Pagasa said as of Saturday, La Mesa Dam is at 68.54 meters, 11.61 meters below normal. Angat Dam is at 163.12 meters, 46.88 meters off from normal level

  The weather bureau issued the first El Nino advisory last February 10 where they expected it become full blown and affect most parts of the country.

  The following month, La Mesa Dam fell below critical level due to the phenomenon and issues in Manila Water Company Inc.'s water distribution to the East Zone of Metro Manila. By March 11, La Mesa's water level was at 68.93 meters.

  As Pagasa officially announced the start of dry season last March 22, water levels of La Mesa Dam and Angat Dam went down. La Mesa's water level dipped to 68.52 meters while Angat Dam fell to 196.70 meters.

  Angat Dam reached a below critical water level status on April 28 at 179.97 meters from its minimum operating level of 180 meters. 

  In a press statement on Thursday, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) said the water level of Angat Dam has not improved due to weak El Nino. NWRB said it has prepared operational measures if the dam's water level will not improve in the rainy season.

  ''(I)f the water level continues to drop during the month of June, the Angat Technical Working Group composed of NWRB, PAGASA, NIA, MWSS and its concessionaires and NAPOCOR with the dam operator has established operational measures to assure the release of the 46 cms will be maintained,'' NWRB said. 

''(The) measures will ensure sufficient water supply in Metro Manila even if the water elevation in Angat Dam breaches the 160 meter elevation. Moreover, other mitigating measures, such as establishment of additional deep wells and cloud seeding operations, are ongoing,'' the statement said. 

NWRB assured it is monitoring of Angat Dam is being done "in case there will be significant deviations from the rainfall projections." Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS