La Mesa dam still spilling water as level recedes

La Mesa Dam. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The La Mesa Dam in Quezon City was still spilling water, as of Thursday, afternoon although the water level had been continually receding, the Manila Water Co. Inc. said.

In the Ipo Dam in Bulacan, however, the water level, has been steadily rising, said Jeric Sevilla, head of corporate communications at Manila Water.

Sevilla said water elevation at La Mesa Dam was pegged at 80.23 meters as of 5 p.m., still above the spilling level of 80.15 meters.

He said water at La Mesa was at the lowest since the dam started to release water 11:35 a.m. on Tuesday.

Amid heavy rainfall due to the habagat or southwest monsoon, exacerbated by storm “Maring,” water level at La Mesa peaked at 80.34 meters.

At Ipo Dam, Sevilla said the water has reached 100.82 meters as of 5 p.m. on Thursday, nearing the spilling level of 101 meters.

“Two out of the three gates at Ipo Dam have been open since Tuesday,” he said, adding that this was done in an effort to prevent the water from reaching spilling level.

On Thursday, water at Ipo Dam climbed from 100.47 meters at noon to 100.5 meters at 3 p.m.