Amihan seen to raise water level at Angat Dam —PAGASA

The onset of the Northeast Monsoon or Amihan is expected to help replenish water levels at the Angat Dam, the weather bureau PAGASA said on Friday.

PAGASA made the remark after Maynilad warned of rotating water interruptions due to lower than normal operating levels at the Angat Dam. 

"Pagpasok ng Amihan, ideally magpapaulan siya sa east side of Luzon. Kung mas malakas, maging sa east side ng Visayas," PAGASA weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio told GMA News Online.

He said Angat Dam would likely experience rains.

Aurelio said the Amihan season had yet to officially start. Annual trends, however, show that it usually starts in mid-October.

Amihan may also help tropical cyclones inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) to make landfall.

"Itutulak nito pa-timog ang movement ng bagyo," Aurelio said as he explained a possible scenario when Amihan and a cyclone cross paths.

National Water Resources Board Executive Director Sevillo David Jr. agreed that Amihan offers hope amid the limited water allocation for concessionaires in Metro Manila.

"Normally kasi tumataas siya during the last quarter of the year because 'yung Amihan, 'yung Northeast Monsoon kasi usually, this brings rains to the Angat watershed," David said told GMA News Online.

He said that the NWRB would continue to monitor the rainfall and water level in Angat Dam before it makes any adjustments on the allocation for the water concessionaires.

The board continues to allocate 40 cubic meters per second (m3/s) to the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System. It is 13% lower than the normal allocation of 46 m3/s.

David noted that as of Friday morning, the water level in Angat Dam was 187.28 meters—lower than the 191-meter level during the last week of September.

"Although within normal operating level siya, above the minimum na 180 meters, ang iniisip natin 'yung requirement natin for the whole year. 'Yung gusto nating ma-attain, as much as possible, 'yung end of the year level ng Angat Dam is 212 meters," he said.

"We want to attain that to be assured that we have enough water supply until summer next year... para hindi na maulit 'yung mga water shortage na naranasan natin this year," he added.

Manila Water and Maynilad urged its customers to conserve water. —NB, GMA News