Angat Dam stops releasing water

MANILA, Philippines — Dam operators have stopped releasing water from Angat Dam in Bulacan after the reservoir’s elevation dropped to 213.86 meters.

As of 8 a.m. on Friday, the water level in Angat was 1.86 meters above its normal high water level of 212 meters.

The National Power Corp. (NPC) started releasing water from Angat on Wednesday after the dam’s elevation breached its normal high water level by more than two meters, or closed to 215 meters.

Patrick Dizon, department manager at the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, said that a 215-meter elevation in Angat would ensure adequate water supply in Metro Manila and nearby areas, especially during summer.

Angat supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water needs and provides for the irrigation needs of 25,000 hectares of farmlands in Bulacan and Pampanga.

Meanwhile, one gate of Ipo Dam, also in Bulacan, was closed at 8 a.m. on Friday after the reservoir’s elevation dropped to 100.98 meters, or 12 centimeters below its normal high water level of 101.1 meters.

Binga Dam in Benguet continued releasing water as it reached 574.01 meters or only 99 centimeters below its normal high water level of 575 meters.