(UPDATE) A STATE hydrologist alerted on Wednesday that water lack, specifically in Metro Manila, is possible throughout the very first half of 2024 in spite of Angat Dam’s above-normal water level.
Senior hydrologist Elmer Caringal of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) informed The Manila Times through Viber that the dam’s present regular high water level (NHWL) at 213 meters was not a guarantee that there would be no water lack.
The Angat Dam tank in Norzagaray, Bulacan. Submit Photo
Dam operators have actually opened at least 3 gates of Angat Dam, launching “excess water” to keep the water level at its 212m regular high level, Caringal stated.
He described that Angat Dam, the primary source of drinkable supply of water for Metro Manila and other adjacent provinces for watering, might still hold water approximately 215m high.
“But dam operators have actually chosen to gradually launch water through the 3 gates at an overall of 2 meters considering that rains continue in the watersheds that keep the dam at its NHWL,” Caringal stated.
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He stated that water scarcity would still be most likely, specifically throughout the very first and 2nd quarter of 2024, when the effect of the El Niño phenomenon will be felt.
Caringal stated worried federal government firms have actually made strategies to completely optimize the dam water to provide Metro Manila citizens in anticipation of the El Niño. These would be worthless if the end-users would not utilize water sensibly.
“We have just one little dam (Angat) that provides water to Metro Manila homeowners whose number continues to increase, implying more individuals require water that originates from just one dam,” he stated.
The hydrologist stated they support strategies to develop a brand-new dam to conserve more rainwater, which can be utilized as safe and clean water and for watering, to name a few.
In other locations outside Metro Manila, water lack might not be a huge issue, however he stated brownouts may happen next year as the El Niño and dry season embeded in.
With the projection rains outlook for 2024, Caringal stated that method listed below typical would likely hold true, which would impact some significant dams that supply power generation.