Angat Dam’s normal high elevation breached

MALOLOS , Philippines — The elevation in Angat Dam in Bulacan has gone beyond the reservoir’s normal high water level of 212 meters, but operators are not keen on opening the spillways.

Maria Teresa Serra, chief of the Angat Dam flood forecasting and warning division, told The STAR that as of 8 a.m. yesterday, Angat’s elevation was at 212.52 meters, up by 31 centimeters than the previous day’s 212.21 meters.

Serra attributed the increase in the water elevation to the northeast monsoon and the easterlies, which are affecting the dam’s basin.

“As for maintaining the reservoir’s elevation, we allow it to reach 213 meters, and the decision to discharge excess water depends on the weather condition and other factors,” she said.

Meanwhile, records from the Bulacan disaster risk reduction and management office showed that as of 6 a.m. yesterday, the water level in Ipo Dam, also located in Bulacan, was 100.60 meters, almost reaching its spilling level of 101.00 meters.

Bustos Dam went past its overflow level of 15 meters after the reservoir’s elevation reached 15.36 meters, prompting operators to discharge 124 cubic meters per second of water.

Ipo and Bustos supply irrigation water to farmlands in Bulacan and Pampanga.