MANILA, Philippines – The Angat Dam in Bulacan inched up above its critical level of 160 meters on Friday, July 19, as rain from the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat poured.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the Angat Dam’s water level rose to 160.16 meters as of 6 am on Friday.

But this remains far from the dam’s minimum operating water level (MOWL) of 180 meters, so water interruptions continue for customers of Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services.

These have been the key developments in the Angat Dam’s water level in recent months:

1. April 28 – dropped to 179.97 meters, below the MOWL, during the dry season
2. June 22 – plunged to 159.78 meters, below the critical level of 160 meters, despite the onset of the rainy season (READ: Yes, it’s raining, but not much over Angat Dam)
3. July 2 – slightly rose to 160.29 meters
4. July 11 – slid to 159.93 meters
5. July 19 – inched up to 160.16 meters

Authorities are expecting the Angat Dam to return to its MOWL by August or September.

PAGASA sees 2 to 4 tropical cyclones in August, and also 2 to 4 in September. If these tropical cyclones bring much-needed rain over the Angat Dam, the replenishment of water supply could be faster.

Until then, Manila Water and Maynilad will continue receiving limited supply. The reduced allocation for the concessionaires is currently 36 cubic meters per second (CMS), while the normal allocation is 48 CMS. – Rappler.com