(Eagle News) – Because of the strong rains brought by storm Falcon the previous day, Angat dam’s water level today, Friday, June 19, as of 6 a.m. had gone up and is now above the 160-meter critical level.
The water level is at 160.16 meters this morning. This meant that strong rains yesterday, Thursday (July 18), dumped almost two meters of rain, specifically 1.89 meters, to the daw. The water level in Angat dam on Thursday morning stood at only 158.27 meters.
-La Mesa, Ipo water level also up-
La Mesa dam’s water level likewise increased by 36 centimeters as of Friday morning. It was recorded at 73.09 meters as of 6 a.m. today, up from Thursday’s (July 18) 72.73 meters.
Ipo dam, which is downstream of Angat dam in Bulacan, had also an increase in water level. From yesterday’s recorded 100.43 meters, it has reached 100.97 meters as of this morning, Friday (July 19) 6 a.m. This meant it needs only three centimeters of water to reach its normal high water level of 101 meters.
Angat, Ipo and La Mesa dams are the main sources of Metro Manila’s water supply.
The water from these dams are “processed by the La Mesa and Balara Treatment Plants, which converts it from a raw state to clean and potable water,” according to Metropolitan Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).
The water from the Angat Dam, the major supply source for the metropolis, is funneled directly to Ipo Dam.
From Ipo dam, water then flows a distance of 6.4 kilometers to Bicti, after which it passes through five aqueducts—each about 16 kilometers long—to the La Mesa Dam and the La Mesa Portal.
MWSS said that from the La Mesa Portal, 60% of the flow goes to the nearby La Mesa Treatment Plant, out of which another 40% again travels a distance of 6.8 kilometers to the Balara Treatment Plant.
It said the La Mesa Water Treatment Plant, with very minimal electromechanical equipment, relies mostly on water’s hydraulic properties to backwash its filter and gravity to convey raw water from the source into the plant and out into the distribution system.
The La Mesa Water Treatment Plant can only process 2,400 MLD (million liters per day) of raw water, while the Balara Treatment Plant, which has a full production capacity of 1,600 MLD, can supply more than 6 million people throughout the metropolis, MWSS said in its website.
“When both Balara and La Mesa Treatment Plants are operation, the total processing capacity will be 4,000 mld. The La Mesa Water Treatment Plant serves the western half of Metro Manila, while the existing Balara Water Treatment Plant supplies the eastern half,” it said.
