NORZAGARAY, Bulacan–Strong rains brought by typhoon Karding increased to nine meters the depleting Angat Dam elevation.
Angat Dam on Wednesday was at 186.35 meters above sea level (masl) from 177.35 masl on Sunday after 9 meters volume of water was poured in by Karding.
The Sunday’s level is almost 35 meters less or below the reservoir’s 212.00 masl normal high water elevation or spilling level.
It was 2. 77 meters lower than the 180 masl low elevation.
Angat Dam supplies Metro Manila with 97% of its water requirement. For the past several months, the absence of rains keeps the dam elevation low.
The dam started to dip below the 180.00 masl low level last month when it recorded 177.87 masl on Aug. 25; 179. 57 masl in July while it was still above the 180.00 masl low elevation in June as it recorded 182.73 masl.
In December, it reached more than 202.00 masl and it started to decrease in the succeeding months with 197.91 masl on Jan. 25 until 190.53 masl in May 25.
Low lying areas in the towns along the Angat River–Norzagaray, Angat, San Rafael, Bustos, Baliwag, Plaridel, Pulilan, Calumpit, Hagonoy, Paombong and City of Malolos experience flooding when Angat Dam breached the spilling level.
Ipo Dam which is at the foot of the Angat Dam catches the water releases of the Angat Dam. Ipo has 101.00 meters spilling level and now is at 100.70 meters elevation.
Bustos Dam catches the discharges of the two dams. Bustos dam which has a spilling level of 17.35 meters is now at 16.90 meters.
Many are evacuated to higher and safer grounds when flood waters rise high particularly if high tide falls at the same time including back-flooding from Pampanga and Nueva Ecija.
