Napocor: Protocol for releasing dam water followed during typhoon

MANILA, Philippines—The state-run National Power Corp. (Napocor) has reiterated its claim that the dams did not cause the massive floods in some of the coastal towns in Luzon, following the back-to-back onslaught of typhoons Pedring and Quiel.

In a statement issued on Monday, Napocor argued that the dams actually helped mitigate flooding as these structures acted as catch basins for the heavy rains poured by typhoons.

Napocor also maintained that it strictly followed the protocols in releasing water from the dam when it opened the spillway gates. These were the same protocols that it had been implementing during the typhoon seasons, when water levels, particularly in the Angat Dam in Bulacan, rose.

“The release of water from Angat Dam is a decision that rests not solely on Napocor. It is a decision based on several contributory factors, primary of which are the weather and flood forecasts coming from the weather bureau. It is also dictated by standards and regulations set by the regulatory agency, specifically on the water levels that should be maintained in the dam,” Napocor said.

The Dam Water Release Protocol dictates that once the water level in the Angat Dam reaches above 210 meters above sea level (masl), the excess water should be discharged to ensure the integrity of the dam’s structure. Prior to the actual release, Napocor gave out ample warnings, as dictated by the protocol.

When the water level at the Angat Dam rose to 209.65 masl as of 1 p.m. of September 27, Napocor said it began releasing general notices for dam water release to the Office of the Governor of Bulacan and the local government units (LGUs) within the pathway of Angat River.

It finally opened a gate on that same day as the water level reached 211.14 masl. Gate openings were gradually increased from 1 meter, or an equivalent discharge of 120 cubic meters per second, to a maximum of 200 cms, when the reservoir elevation reached 214.08 masl.

At 4 p.m. on Friday last week, all the gates at the Angat Dam had been closed, even as the water level was still high at 213.08 masl.

“The gates were closed to reduce the dam’s contribution to downstream flooding. The Angat River Basin or watershed has an area of 586 square kilometers, which only constituted about 5 percent of the total area of the Pampanga River Basin that measures some 10,540 square kilometers. Thus, it could not have caused the floodings now being experienced by areas in Bulacan,” the government power firm further said.