PHITSANULOK - Kwai Noi Bamrung Daen Dam is now releasing water through three of its six sluice gates, increasing the rate of discharge to lower the reservoir level in preparation for heavy rainfall expected by the end of this month.
The dam currently held 761 million cubic metres of water, or 81% of its total capacity, the dam's director, Chalermsak Thaksadipong, said on Wednesday.
This was double the volume at the same time last year, when it held 377 million cu/m of water,
Continuous recent rainfall had meant a huge amount of water had flowed into the dam.
The Irrigation Department had increased the water discharge rate to 200 cu/m per second, by opening three out of six sluice gates to discharge 170 cu/m per second in addition to releasing water through the spillway at 30 cu/m per second, Mr Chalermsak said.
This was in preparation for expected heavy rainfall by the end of September.
The dam reservoir was expected to be full in early October this year. Last year it reached full capacity around the end of October.
The dam was designed to accommodate water to another one metre higher, he said.
