ANGAT DAM again breached its 160-meter critical water on Thursday in the absence of significant rainfall in the area.

Data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) showed that as of 6 a.m. yesterday, the dam’s water level was 0.37 meter lower than a day earlier 50.1 meters below its normally high water level of 210 meters.

This was below the 180-meter minimum operating level of the dam in Bulacan province that supplies water to Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

The weakened Southwest monsoon brought fewer rains, the National Water Resources Board said in a statement. “It is our hope that the monsoon rains and the forecasted tropical cyclones this month will come earlier to help in the early recovery of Angat Dam,” it added.

Pagasa said two to three typhoons are expected toward the end of July.

“We have the same interruption schedule pending some adjustments every now and then as we fine-tune the distribution of supply,” Jennifer C. Rufo, the Maynilad Water Services, Inc. spokesperson, said in a text message.

Manila Water Co. still receives the same allocations from the water board even if Angat again falls below the critical level, its spokesman Nestor Jeric T. Sevilla Jr. said in a text message. “We are still implementing rotational water service interruptions concession-wide.”

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