Water levels in Angat Dam — the main water source of Metro Manila — are still within the normal range.
CNN Philippines was able to fly over the mountains of Sierra Madre to check on the situation in the dam in Norzagaray in Bulacan, located over 46 kilometers north of Metro Manila.
Upon checking, the water level was at 199.94 meters, which authorities said was normal.
A statement from the National Risk Reduction and Management Council Wednesday, quoted the same number as cited by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
According to the NWRB, Angat’s minimum operating level is at 180 meters, meaning at the volume Angat Dam currently holds is still enough to supply both domestic and irrigation demands.
Water supply will be first cut off for irrigation once it hits the 180-meter critical mark, and only when it reaches 160 meters will supply for domestic uses be limited.
Dam authorities said water can supply Metro Manila for another 125 days, or until the end of the dry season.
Angat Dam supplies 96 percent of Metro Manila’s needs. It is connected to the La Mesa water reservoir in Quezon City, which is now at the lowest water level in 12 years.
A conveyor in Angat with a capacity of 1.6 billion liters per day carries water to homes and businesses under eastern Metro Manila’s concessionaire, Manila Water. However, the demand from customers have risen to 1.7 billion liters per day.
The demand spike has caused a water shortage affecting over half-a-million residents in the metropolis.
Watch the video:
SOURCE: CNN PHILIPPINES
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