MALOLOS CITY – Water elevation at the giant Angat dam climbed by more than seven meters in just 72 hours due to heavy rains brought by typhoon Falcon.
As this developed, small dams in Bulacan like the Ipo and Bustos dams continue to gradually spill water since Monday.
Disaster officials said that spilled water from smaller dams had little impact on communities along the 50 kilometer Angat River that drains to Manila Bay.
However, they have evacuated almost a thousand families living easements of the Angat River banks as water elevation on the river continue to rise as of Saturday morning.
Engineer Rodolfo German, general manager of the Angat River Hydroelectric Power Plant (Arhepp), said that water elevation at the dam climbed to 202.98 meters above sea level (MASL) at 10 a.m. yesterday.
This is more than seven meters higher than the 195.83 MASL recorded at the dam at 8 a.m. on Friday.
German said current water elevation at the dam is higher than what was recorded at the same time in previous years.
He also allayed fears that they will spill water from the dam noting that their spill level is set at 210 to 212 masl.
“It is still a long way to go before we spill water especially now that the typhoon has left the country,” he said.
He also clarified that in case Angat Dam release water through its spillways, it would not affect residents living along the Sta. Maria-Bocaue, and the Marilao-Meycauayan rivers.
This is due to the fact that Angat River is not connected to the said rivers. Meanwhile, about a thousand families living on easements along the Angat River bank were evacuated by different local government units since Friday as water elevation on the river continue to rise.
Liz Mungcal, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMC), said that they warned local residents as early as Thursday morning when heavy rains fell without let up and caused rivers to swell.
She said that about 1,000 families living on Angat River easement in Barangays Tibag, Tiaong, San Jose and Poblacion in Baliuag town were moved to at least five evacuation centers.
About 200 residents of Barangays Poblacion, San Pedro, Bonga Mayor, Cambaog and Tanauan in Bustos town were also evacuated.
The towns of Baliuag and Bustos are located along the Angat River. Baliuag is on the northern bank while Bustos is on the southern bank of the river.
The PDRRMC also said that Ipo Dam has been gradually spilling water since Monday and it flows through Bustos’s rubber gate dam between Bustos and San Rafael towns.
