Angat Dam water reaches lowest recorded level

MWSS advises Bulacan of water adjustments

MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan, Philippines — The water elevation of Angat Dam reached its lowest recorded level yesterday, prompting the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to advise Bulacan residents of water adjustments.

Records from the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office (PDRRMO) showed that the dam’s water elevation has gone down to its lowest recorded level of 150.55 meters.

However, Bustos Dam, which is downstream from Angat, started releasing water to its river system at 10 a.m. yesterday after its water level reached 15.9 meters, an elevation that is just 10 centimeters below the spilling level, the PDRRMO said.

Bustos Dam raised its Sluice Gate 1 at 0.20 meters to discharge six cubic meters per second (CMS) of water.

This is the first discharge of water since the coffer dam was completed early this year as a substitute to the damaged rubber gates of Bustos Dam that had a spilling level of 17 meters.

Celso Cruz, Guiguinto Water District chair, confirmed to The STAR that the developments prompted the MWSS to advise officials of the Bulacan Association of Water Districts (BAWD) of water interconnection adjustments.

Cruz, citing the advisory, said adjustments to the interconnection points would be implemented on Tuesday at 12 a.m. due to the continuing decline in the water elevation of Angat Dam. In compliance with the directive from MWSS, the water allocation to BAWD will be reduced accordingly.

He said the advisory noted that the “adjustments may need to be implemented immediately, should water quality conditions deteriorate or if further reductions in water allocation are required to maintain a stable and reliable water supply.”

Further reductions may be triggered once the Angat Dam water level reaches 150 meters, he added.

According to Cruz, the allocation is expected to be reduced to 22 CMS, which may necessitate additional operational adjustments, if the water elevation further goes down to 149 meters.

Currently, MWSS is allocating BAWD 260 million liters per day.

If Angat’s water elevation reaches the 150-meter level, the allocation will be reduced to only 145 million liters per day, which may lead to proportionate releases among water districts.

Cruz said the MWSS is encouraging everyone to remain prepared for possible operational changes.