THE National Power Corporation (Napocor) denied reports of over spilling for the period December 1-15, 2009 from Angat Dam, which caused the current water shortage being experienced in Metro Manila.
In a statement, Napocor said they even tried to implement measures to make sure the dam will have enough water, in anticipation of an El Nino period.
“In anticipation of an extended summer as forecasted by our weather bureau, we have maintained the water in the dam above the normal operational level by more than two meters, from 210 masl to 212 masl, as of December 2009,” the agency reiterated.
“Also, our total outflows were only almost 93 million cubic meters (MCM) from December 1 – 15, 2009; which is even lower than the more than 108 MCM – requirement of both the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the same period”, it further said.
Moreover, Napocor asserted that all releases for the period are all within dam operation protocols and regulatory requirements.
“There are no releases made for that period that are outside the allocations given by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB). There were no extra releases, contrary to the allegations,” Napocor added.
The Angat Dam is a multi-purpose facility constructed to address the potable drinking water requirements of Metro Manila and adjacent provinces, irrigation farmlands in nearby provinces, and augment power supply for the Luzon Grid.
“In the order of things, power generation is the least priority in the use of the water of Angat Dam. Its primary use is to provide potable drinking water for Metro Manila, and secondary use is to provide irrigation water to farmlands in the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, among others,” Napocor said.
Allocation for the water in the dam is determined by the NWRB.
“We strictly follow the allocations provided by the NWRB,” the Napocor statement added. (MSN/Sunnex)