3 Bulacan dams keep discharging water

MANILA, Philippines — Angat, Bustos and Ipo dams in Bulacan continued to discharge water yesterday after they breached their normal high water level due to rains spawned by the shear line and the northwest monsoon.

As of 8 a.m. yesterday, Angat’s elevation was 214.34 meters or 2.34 meters above its normal high water level of 212 meters.

One gate of the reservoir remained open to discharge 186.94 cubic meters per second  of water.

On Wednesday, the National Power Corp. (NPC) started releasing water from Angat as the dam was nearing the 215-meter maximum level set by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

MWSS department manager Patrick Dizon earlier said the 215-meter water level in Angat would ensure adequate supply for Metro Manila and nearby areas, especially during summer.

Angat Dam supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water needs and provides for the irrigation needs of 25,000 hectares of farmlands in Bulacan and Pampanga.

Aside from Angat, the Bustos and Ipo dams, also in Bulacan, opened one gate each to reduce water to a safe level.

Bustos elevation reached 17.28 meters, or only seven centimeters short of its spilling level of 17.35 meters

Ipo’s elevation reached 100.82 meters, or only 28 centimeters below its normal high water level of 101.1 meters.

Bustos and Ipo released water at 106 and  66.7 cubic centimeters per second, respectively.

Meanwhile, Binga Dam discharged water after its elevation reached 574.57 meters or 43 centimeters below its normal water of 575 meters.

La Mesa Dam in Quezon City reached 79.60 meters or 55 centimeters below its normal high water level of 80.15 meters.

Other dams in Luzon that are nearing their normal high water level are Ambuklao in Benguet, Caliraya in Laguna, Magat in Isabela, Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija and San Roque in Pangasinan.