Is Angat Dam damned?

How many disaster movies have we seen where a dam breaks? A lot actually. It is usually triggered by an explosion or an earthquake. A thundering sound is heard followed by a crack. Then the crack slowly crawls all over the face of the dam, forming that all too familiar web. Then silence. Then the catastrophe begins with a huge chunk of the dam giving way. Millions upon millions of gallons of water then widen up the crack some more, causing more water to escape. A mighty river ensues, engulfing and devouring everything in its path! Destruction is widespread, especially since towns and cities are often built alongside rivers caused by dams. The death toll is unimaginable, as these towns and cities are suddenly sunken beneath ten to twenty meters of water as the dam empties and the water slows down to a halt, finally finding its lowest level.

Although not as graphic and descriptive, this is the scenario presented by an American company commissioned by the MWSS to conduct a study should the forty-four year old Angat Dam be hit with a massive earthquake, say around 7-7.1 magnitude. Did I mention that Angat Dam was built on top of a fault line? Yes, it is. Why, I do not know. Probably the geology of the terrain necessitated it to be built there. Experts say that dams have a fifty year life span. What they meant by life span was not clear. Would the dam just crumble away at age fifty? Would it slowly start to crack? Is it repairable? Whatever they meant, I guess the fact is that it should be replaced, or reconditioned or rehabilitated.

And isn’t it just so Filipino for one to say that the 50 years is not a strict rule, and that with the proper maintenance, the life span can be extended! How many times have we seen this kind of attitude in daily life? Public utility vehicles and cabs with tires that are worn to the steel threads! Jeepneys that spew carcinogens all because they are not maintained! Bathrooms left in disrepair! The “pwede pa yan” attitude just abounds everywhere! Are we to adopt the same attitude on a dam? Just how good is our “proper maintenance” for it to extend the life span of a dam? If developed countries do not take that risk, why should we?

There are reports that cracks have developed in the dam. Which is why the President saw it fit to release P5.7 billion for the rehabilitation of Angat Dam. And rehabilitating it is a must! I really don’t care if the proper maintenance is the best in the world. Nobody has had any cure for age. The older something, anything gets, the more prone and susceptible it is to damage. It’s just the way things are. So if there are funds, then spend them wisely. A dam breaking will damn not just property, but lives as well.

Proper maintenance. Really. I wonder how their bathrooms are maintained?