Magat Dam may release water if ‘Juan’ rains hit watershed

Magat Dam in Isabela province may release water if Typhoon Juan (Megi) dumps rains on the watershed area, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Monday. PAGASA Hydrometeorological Division head Susan Espinueva said the release will be "graduated" and not immediate, to minimize the effect on areas near the dam. "Ang inaasahan nating ulan tatama sa watershed... malaki ang posibilidad [na] magpapakawala ng tubig mula [sa] Magat. Pero graduated yan, di basta-basta bubuksan ang dam, unti-unti yan (If the rains hit the watershed area, there is a big chance Magat Dam will release water. But this will be gradual and not sudden)," Espinueva said in an interview on dwIZ radio. She said the recommended rate of water release will be 2,000 centimeters per second. As of 6 a.m. Monday, PAGASA’s dam status showed Magat Dam’s water level stood at 183.30 meters, some 10 meters below the spilling level of 193 meters. Espinueva hinted the dam will start releasing water before the water level reaches 193 meters. "Dahil may bagyo tayo, even before ma-reach ang level na yan binubuksan ang dam (Because of the typhoon, even before we reach the 193-meter level, we will open the dam gates)," she said. Meanwhile, the water level at Angat Dam in Bulacan finally reached the critical 180 meters, three months after going down to as low as 157 meters in July. Angat, which has a spilling level of 212 meters, supplies 97 percent of Metro Manila’s water needs. As of 6 a.m. Monday, its water level was at 180.83 meters, the same level as Sunday. — RSJ, GMANews.TV