Extreme Heat Further Fuels Angat Water Conservation Calls

The government urged Metro Manilans to conserve water as Angat Dam, Metro Manila’s main water source, suffers from speedy evaporation due to extreme heat brought about by the onslaught of dry season’s peak and drought-driving El Nino phenomenon.

“There’s increased evaporation so we’re advocating wise use of Angat water to help prevent shortage of this liquid,” said Exec. Dir. Dr. Sevillo David, Jr. of National Water Resources Board (NWRB)

He noted conservation measures will help extend availability of Angat water.

“We must guard against significant water loss in Angat,” he said.

State-run Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that Angat Dam’s water elevation as of 6 a.m. Saturdayreached 195.30 meters or 7.03 meters above the rule curve for the day.

Rule curve is the desired water level for meeting a dam’s purposes.

Angat Dam supplies water for power generation, irrigation and Metro Manila’s needs.

“Even with El Nino, we think Angat’s reserve is still sufficient to meet such purposes,” said David.

He noted government would prioritize supplying Angat’s irrigation water to agricultural fields needing this the most.

The dam provides irrigation water to some 20,000 hectares of land in Bulacan and Pampanga provinces.

David remains optimistic about water supply in Metro Manila as well.

“We think there’s enough Angat water for Metro Manila until mid-2016,” he said.

According to PAGASA, El Nino is already weakening.

Some models indicate El Nino will transition to neutral by mid-2016, said PAGASA.

PAGASA expects seeing an active southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ during 2016’s third quarter.

‘Habagat,’ tropical cyclones and low-pressure areas are among rain-driving weather systems PAGASA forecast in the country from May to September this year.

Rain from such weather systems will help increase reserve in Angat Dam.

According to experts, El Nino and the La Nina phenomenon are the corresponding warm and cool phases of a recurring natural climate pattern called El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) across tropical Pacific.

They noted an ENSO-neutral state was one whose conditions were near long-term average. (PNA) RMA/CJT/RSM