No need to repair Angat Dam, but mini-dams proposed

NORZAGARAY, Bulacan, Philippines – It’s better to construct a new dam rather than repair the Angat Dam to increase its water holding capacity, a dam official said.

However, engineer Rodolfo German stressed the need to construct at least three mini-dams downstream of the Angat and Ipo dams here as additional water impounding areas.

These mini-dams will address the need of local farmers whose water allocation is usually cut when the Angat Dam’s water level drops to a critical 180 meters like last week, German said.

In each mini-dam, at least two megawatts of power can also be generated, he added.

German told The STAR that it would take a lot of money and time to increase the water holding capacity of the 42-year-old Angat Dam.

“It’s better to construct a new dam because the Angat Dam is good for another 60 years,” he said.

German said the water allocation for Metro Manila as well as for Bulacan farmers would be affected if the dam’s dikes are repaired and raised, as this would require draining portions of the dam that may impede the release of water.

At present, the Angat Dam can hold up to 216 meters of water. It supplies 97 percent of the potable water requirements of about 14 million residents of Metro Manila.

German said a possible solution in increasing the dam’s water holding capacity is to dredge portions of it, as the average annual siltation is estimated at half a meter.

Meanwhile, German said excess water from the Angat and Ipo dams during rainy days could be stored in the mini-dams constructed downstream of the Angat River in this town.

At present, only the Bustos Dam between the towns of San Rafael and Bustos serves as the impounding area for water spilled from the Angat and Ipo dams.

The Bustos Dam has an elevation of less than 20 meters and usually overflows during the rainy season, draining water into Manila Bay through the 50-kilometer Angat River.

Bulacan farmers earlier suggested increasing the water holding capacity of the Angat Dam as the irrigation of their rice fields is usually affected whenever its water level drops to 180 meters.

They lamented that the National Water Regulatory Board gives top priority to the water requirements of Metro Manila than the irrigation of their farmlands.