San Roque Dam’s water level is critical
LINGAYEN–Water level in the San Roque Multi-Purpose Dam Project (SRMDP) remains critical with the current El Niño phenomenon significantly reducing the volume of water flowing in from the upper stream of the Agno River.
Nonetheless, Tom Valdez, vice president on corporate responsibilities of the San Roque Power Corporation, said there has so far been no disruption in the production of 95 megawatts of energy for the Luzon grid by the SRMDP.
The water level at SRMDP is at a low 236 meters above sea level, which is less than the expected level there at this time of the year.
The normal water level of SRMDP is 280 meters above sea level. Its spilling level in case of continuous rains, like what happened in October during the onslaught of typhoon “Pepeng”, is 290 meters above sea level.
Valdez said the National Power Corporation (NPC), operator of the two hydro-electric projects in the upper stream of the Agno River, is doing everything it can to manage the little water that is left.
He said the NPC, in coordination with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), currently limits the amount of water flowing from the Ambuklao and Binga Dams in Benguet.
With no rain expected soon and the temperature getting higher, Valdez said the water level in the dam is expected to go down further, adding that the inflow of water from upstream at this time of the year has also been greatly reduced at an average of 10 to 20 cubic meters per second from the normal 80 cm/s.
With the need for water in the farmlands of Pangasinan until May 15 when farmers finally start harvesting their second rice crop, NPC has resorted to releasing water in trickles.
Valdez said the scant water being released is just enough to turn the turbines of SRMDP to produce 95 megawatts of electric power for the Luzon grid. It is only when the SRMDP produces electricity that it releases water downstream of the Agno River, thus making water available to the Agno River Irrigation System (ARIS).
Valdez said SRPC monitors the daily water level of the dam and tells NPC of their need for water so the latter would know the volume of water that has to be dispatched from Ambuklao and Binga dams.
He expressed hope that the arrangement between NPC and NIA can be sustained until June or July this year, at which time heavy rains are expected to come.
SRMDP, the highest rock-fill dam in Southeast Asia and the second highest all over Asia, was built in 1996 during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos and completed in 2000 during the term of President Joseph Estrada. It started operation in 2001 during the term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The structure was built by a consortium of foreign companies led by Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and Ital-Thai under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme.
After 25 years, the project will revert to the government through the NPC.–LM
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