La Mesa Dam water to hit critical level, will have little effect on consumers

As La Mesa Dam nears hitting its critical water level, PAGASA on Sunday said the low water level in the dam will only affect a small number of consumers.

Most of the water consumers in Metro Manila get their supply from the Angat Dam so the low water level in La Mesa Dam would affect only a small number of consumers, according to PAGASA hydrologist Jason Bausa in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

LIVE sa DZBB: Jason Bausa, hydrologist ng @dost_pagasa, kaugnay sa kasalukuyang lebel ng tubig sa mga dam kasabay ng El Niño. https://t.co/z3DZeChnPa

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) March 9, 2019

“Major supply ng Metro Manila, nanggagaling sa Angat [Dam] kaya hindi malala ang impact nito [critical low water level of La Mesa Dam],” Bausa said.

“Dito po sa Angat Dam, 200.97 meters. Ang low water level po nila ay 180 meters. Bale 20.97 meters pa 'yung sobra. Malayo-layo pa,” he also said.

In a separate interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday, National Water Resources Board Executive Director Dr. Sevillo David Jr. also said the water level in Angat Dam is currently at 200.97 meters, or about 20 meters higher than the reservoir's minimum operating level of 180 meters. This is within normal levels even amid the expected lack of sufficient rain until June.

As of Sunday at 6 a.m., the water level of La Mesa Dam fell to 69.02 meters. La Mesa Dam’s critical level is set at 69 meters. This means the water level is just 0.2 meter away from the critical level.

Bausa said the water level at La Mesa Dam is expected to go down and hit its critical level in the next six to eight hours.

Meanwhile, the water levels in other dams as of 6 a.m. Sunday have also dropped due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon:

• Ipo - 101.03 meters
• Ambuklao - 749.18 meters
• Binga - 573.21 meters
• San Roque - 265.86 meters
• Pantabangan - 205.21 meters
• Magat - 170.32 meters
• Caliraya - 286.82 meters

To reserve water for the next months, Manila Water has implemented water service operational adjustments that led to service interruptions in some areas of Marikina, Pasig, Quezon City and Rizal. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News