Water levels in key Luzon dams keep going down, says Pagasa

BEATING THE HEAT. A group of teenagers soak in the cascading cool waters of the old Wawa Dam in Rodriguez, Rizal on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (Photo from GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Inquirer) MANILA, Philippines — Water levels in several major dams in Luzon are declining as of Friday morning, May 15, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa)’s monitoring. This situation comes amid days of high heat index forecast and lingering concerns over the possible onset of El Niño in the coming months. Most of the country’s major reservoirs recorded lower elevations compared to Thursday’s levels, continuing a trend that experts earlier warned could worsen if dry conditions persist through the transition to rainy season. Article continues after this advertisement Angat Dam, which is the primary water source for Metro Manila, fell further to 178.5 meters on Thursday from 178.8 meters a day earlier. This new level remains below its operating level of 180 meters and far below its normal high water level of 210 meters. Located in Bulacan, Angat Dam supplies about 90 percent of Metro Manila’s raw water needs and irrigates thousands of hectares of farmlands in Bulacan and Pampanga. Ipo Dam, another key component of Metro Manila’s water system, declined to 99.9 meters from 100 meters, while La Mesa Dam in Quezon City slightly dropped to 79.86 meters from 79.87 meters. Pagasa’s latest monitoring also showed lower water levels in several hydroelectric dams in Northern and Central Luzon. Article continues after this advertisement Ambuklao Dam in Benguet slipped to 740.1 meters from 740.1 meters. Binga Dam, also in Benguet, dropped sharply by 0.71 meters to 566.3 meters from 567 meters. Article continues after this advertisement San Roque Dam in Pangasinan declined to 228.6 meters from 228.8 meters. Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija fell to 189 meters from 189.3 meters. The continuing decline in reservoir elevations happens as the country experiences extreme heat, with heat indices in several areas reaching dangerous levels in recent days. This Friday alone, 46 cities are forecast to experience danger-level heat indices (42 to 51°C). Hydroelectric dams are especially being monitored closely because reduced water elevations may also affect electricity generation capacity during periods of high power demand. During the past days, both the Luzon and Visayas grids were also placed on red and yellow alerts following insufficient power supply during peak hours, and as operating reserves fell below contingency requirements, causing brownouts in some areas. Meanwhile, Magat Dam in Isabela was among the few reservoirs that posted an increase, rising to 182 meters from 181.6 meters. Caliraya Dam in Laguna also increased to 285.9 meters from 285.7 meters. Despite the slight increase, Magat Dam remains 11 meters below its normal high water level of 193 meters. Pagasa’s monitoring bulletin showed no gate openings in the listed dams as of 8 a.m. on Friday. /apl Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.