Water levels in the Castlereagh and Maussakelle reservoirs in the central hills have passed their overflow levels following intermittent rainfall in their catchment areas, engineers in charge of the two reservoirs said on Friday morning.
Maussakelle had risen to 3.7 feet above its overflow level, with 2.5 millimetres of rain recorded in its catchment over the preceding 24 hours, Daily Mirror reported.
Castlereagh was a little over half a foot above its overflow level — Daily Mirror gave the figure as 0.6½ feet — after 4 millimetres of rain in its catchment over the same period.
Power stations at maximum capacity
Engineers in charge of the power stations said generation at the Canyon, Laxapana, New Laxapana, Polpitiya and Wimalasurendra plants is being carried out at maximum capacity because of the increased water levels.
Both reservoirs feed the Laxapana complex, one of the country’s principal hydropower systems, and running the stations hard is the standard means of drawing levels down.
Waterfalls running stronger
The rainfall in the catchment areas has also increased flow at several waterfalls, including Gartmore, Mohini, St. Clair and Devon Falls.
A threshold crossed since August 10
The reservoirs were within 1.2 feet and 3.4 feet of spilling on August 10, when heavy rain first pushed them towards their limits and residents along the Maskeliya Oya were told to stay alert. Friday’s figures confirm both have now crossed that threshold.
Daily Mirror did not report whether spill gates at either reservoir have been opened, and no fresh public warning to residents downstream was included in Friday’s report.
The condition of the two reservoirs contrasts with conditions inland, where dry weather linked to El Niño continues to affect tens of thousands of people across seven districts. The central hills catchments and the dry zone districts draw on different rainfall patterns.
