Angat dam operations back to normal

Manila Times
BY EUAN PAULO C. AÑONUEVO REPORTER
THE operations of the Angat dam are now back to normal after state-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) completed repairs at the facility. Napocor said that the repairs it conducted on Metro Manila’s primary water source was concluded as scheduled at 6 a.m. on Wednesday. 

“After the repairs have been accomplished, we undertook the watering of the penstock, which means that we have to gradually let the water flow out. This is to preserve the structural integrity of the penstock, and by 8 a.m., all operations are back to normal,” the power firm said. 

The Angat dam supplies around 97 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water supply. Napocor, which owns a hydroelectric power plant attached to the facility, operates the reservoir. 

Repair works at the dam started Tuesday to maintain the integrity of the level of control over the facility’s water supply. This was to prevent over releases to Ipo dam, which acts as impounding area for water released from Angat. 

The shutdown of the Angat dam, however, resulted to the disruption of Maynilad Water Services Inc.’s water distribution service in the west zone of Metro Manila. 

Areas that were hit by zero water supply for the past days include Quezon City, Las Pinas, Malabon, Valenzuela and Caloocan. On the other hand, other May-nilad covered areas, experienced low water pressure. 

Despite the resumption of Angat’s operations, Cherubim Ocampo, Maynilad spokesman, said that it would take time before the utility’s service normalizes, as it takes about eight hours for water from the dam to reach the company’s treatment facilities; an hour and a half for the water to be treated; and another eight hours to distribute the water to the farthest point in its network. 

Manila Water Co. Inc., which distributes water to the other half Metro Manila, was not affected by the Angat’s shutdown, it was able to source supply from its own dedicated aqueducts and the La Mesa dam.