Metro faces water cut despite rains

MANILA, Philippines - Water allocation for Metro Manila may be reduced in the next few weeks as water elevation at the Angat Dam dropped by more than half meter despite sporadic rainfall in Bulacan, a ranking official of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) said yesterday.

Engineer Rodolfo German, manager of the Napocor’s Angat River Hydro Electric Power Plant (Arhepp), which runs the Angat Dam, said water elevation further dropped to 166.43 meters above sea level (masl) yesterday morning.

It is more than half meter lower than the 167.01 masl recorded on Thursday morning, and about 40 meters lower than the 204 masl recorded at the start of the year.

“We still have enough water for Metro Manila’s potable water needs, but if there will be no rainfall in the next two weeks, it’s a different story,” he said in a telephone interview yesterday.

German said they will do everything to ensure there will be water for Metro Manila, but one of the ways is to reduce water allocation. At present, he said Metro Manila is still getting an allocation of 35 cubic meters per second.

“Metro Manila should now start conserving water in preparation for less or lack of rainfall within the 63,000 hectare Angat watershed,” he said.

He also said everybody should pray for rain as a rain dance conducted at the dam by University of the Philippines professors last March proved ineffective.

However, German also expressed optimism that water stored in the dam’s reservoir will soon be replenished. He said that rainfall from two typhoons like last year’s “Ondoy” would be enough to fill up the dam.