Napocor denies releasing excessive water from Angat dam

The National Power Corp. (Napocor), which operates Angat dam, denied allegations that it released excessive water supplies, which in turn supposedly caused a shortage in the Philippine capital. The state-led corporation even undertook measures to ensure that the dam — Metro Manila’s main water source — contained sufficient reserves since it expected a dry spell brought by El Niño, it said in a statement. Water levels in the dam have been maintained above "normal operational levels by more than two meters, from 210 meters above sea level (MASL) to 212 (MASL) as of December 2009," the statement said. Total water outflows were only almost 93 million cubic meters (MCM) from December 1-15, 2009, 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, Napocor said. All water releases for the period are within dam operation protocols and regulatory requirements as set by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB). It added that "power generation is the least priority in the use of the water of Angat Dam," the statement said. "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," the statement added. Besides being operated by Napocor, the dam has been put up for sale by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), an agency tasked to sell the government’s power assets. Angat dam has been sold to a Korean company but the Philippine Supreme Court has temporarily stopped the sale. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV