Bulacan dams exceed spill levels, discharge water
OVERFLOW Water level in Bulacan’s Ipo Dam, seen in this photo taken in June last year, reaches the critical mark on Friday, forcing its operator to release excess water. Two other dams in the province—Angat and Bustos—have also been discharging water since Monday. —CARMELA REYES-ESTROPE
CITY OF MALOLOS—The three major dams in Bulacan province have been continuously releasing water since Monday as Angat Dam remained above its 214-meter spilling level, reaching over 215 meters above sea level, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported.
As of 8 a.m. on Friday, Angat Dam’s elevation had slightly decreased to 214.72 masl, with water discharges reduced to 141.60 cubic meters per second. This was down from Thursday’s 6 a.m. release of 145.76 cms, when the dam stood at 215.19 masl.
Initial releases began on Wednesday at 5 p.m. when the dam’s level reached 215.43 masl, discharging 74 cms of water. By 8 p.m. that day, the elevation further increased to 215.45 masl.
Bustos Dam, an afterbay regulatory dam located about 40 kilometers downstream from Angat in Barangay San Lorenzo, Norzagaray town, began preemptive releases on Monday when its water level exceeded its 17-meter spilling level, reaching 17.26 meters. It initially discharged 87 cms of water.
Ipo Dam, which sits at the foot of Angat Dam in Barangay San Mateo, Norzagaray, conducted a preemptive release on Tuesday. With an elevation of 100.73 meters—just shy of its 101.00-meter spilling level—it released 33.70 cms of water.
Article continues after this advertisementBy Friday, Bustos Dam, at 17.22 meters, had increased its discharge to 212.00 cms.
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In an interview, PDRRMO head Manuel Lukban Jr. said that the continuous discharges from Angat and Ipo Dams have led to increased releases from Bustos Dam.
He attributed the rising water levels in Angat Dam to persistent rainfall over the Sierra Madre mountain range.
However, he assured that the current outflow of over 200 cms from Bustos Dam remains “minimal and manageable,” posing no immediate threat to residents along Angat River or low-lying areas.
“The preemptive releases from Bustos and Ipo Dams help regulate water flow, preventing a sudden surge in Angat River that could cause flooding,” Lukban said.
Lukban also reassured that Bulacan’s rivers and low-lying areas are not at risk of flooding, as the high tide level remains at a manageable 1.02 meters (3.35 feet).
“Flooding usually occurs when multiple factors align—dam releases exceeding 300 cms, high tide nearing 5 feet, and heavy rainfall occurring simultaneously. Fortunately, while there is rain over the Sierra Madre, it is not raining heavily in Bulacan, and the high tide remains just above 3 feet,” Lukban explained.
