Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija and Angat Dam in Bulacan are now both below their minimum 180-meter water levels, reputedly their lowest recorded levels so far.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Monday recorded 179.23 meters water level in Angat, and 178.87 meters in Pantabangan.
Both should have at least 180 meters water level, according to PAGASA hydrologist Jason Bausa, who he does see it as not an effect yet of the now declared El Niño phenomenon, but sees the dams’water level to recover between July and August this year.
“We see that the recovery stage is between July to August. This is actually an annual recovery period for both dams,” he said, adding his advice to the public to continue conserving water.
“Maximize water during thunderstorms, too. Save water from thunderstorms since this happens daily,” Bausa said.
Angat Dam supplies 98 percent of the potable water in Metro Manila through the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).
Pantabangan Dam, on the other hand, is a multipurpose dam mainly used for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation for the rice fields in Nueva Ecija and nearby provinces.