Post by admin on May 4, 2014 12:08:14 GMT 8
Long dry spell looms
Angat Dam nears critical level; Davao power woes worsening
Ellalyn De Vera / MB
May 4, 2014
Manila, Philippines — Residents of Metro Manila and neighboring provinces may experience water shortage while power woes in Davao City are expected to worsen with the onset of an El Niño phenomenon that is expected to start next month and may extend up to the first quarter of 2015.
As of yesterday, water elevation at Angat Dam in Bulacan – a major reservoir supplying Metro Manila’s domestic water supply and Central Luzon farmers’ irrigation needs – was already near the 180-meter critical level.
In Davao City, residents are already experiencing a four-hour power interruption daily due to lower power production at the Pulangi hydropower plant caused by the decreasing water level at Lake Lanao.
Richard Orendain, hydrologist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Angat Dam is being closely monitored because water level may be below the critical level by next week.
Orendain said Angat Dam reached its lowest level at 157.76 meters in July, 2010, during an El Niño episode. During that period, authorities temporarily stopped the operations of the dam to protect its turbines from breakage.
“At present, Angat Dam continues to decline by 31 centimeters per day,” he said. As of 6 a.m. yesterday, Angat Dam’s elevation was recorded at 182.79 meters, lower by 31 centimeters from 183.10 meters last Friday.
If we consider the average water level drop of Angat Dam, its level will reach 176.30 this month, 169 meters by June, 161.60 meters by July, and 154.30 meters by August, he said.
Worst-case scenario
He noted, however, that this scenario will only happen should there be no rains at the Angat Dam watershed during the rainy season.
“While, an El Niño event is expected next month, the onset of rainy season will still be normal between May and June. Only the amount of rainfall will be below normal. It will be impossible not to have rains, especially during the rainy season,” Orendain said.
“At this period in 2010, the level of Angat Dam was already critical. But now it has not yet reached the critical level. I don’t think it will reach the previous lowest level unless there will be no rains, particularly in July and August,” he said.
Because of the low water level at Angat Dam, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) has already cut Metro Manila’s water allocation to meet the water demands of at least 12 million people. About 97 percent of Metro Manila’s domestic water requirements are sourced from Angat Dam.
Angat Dam also supplies the irrigation needs of 31,000 hectares of farms in Central Luzon.
In Davao City, Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Arturo Milan and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte led the dialogue with the barangay executives Friday afternoon to shed light on the reasons behind the 4-hour power woes being experienced by consumers.
Hoping for rains
“We hope rains will come early in Mindanao,” was the direct answer of Milan, replying to questions when the brownouts in Davao City would end.
“Fifty percent of our power supply in Davao City relies on hydropower,” Milan explained, adding the Pulangi source in Bukidnon that used to produce 255 megawatts of power has considerably decreased its production to 10 MW.
Milan added the water level in Lake Lanao is already down to 699.5 meters or about .4 meters away from critical level.
DLPC has an existing contract of 400 MW and a demand of 300 MW before the summer.
Of the 400 MW power contract of DLPC, 280 MW is being supplied by the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and is dependent on its hydropower plants.
Now that the water supplies of Pulangi and Lake Lanao continue to decrease, Milan said Napocor could only supply DLPC with 120 MW from its original 280 MW contract.
Palace assurance
Malacañang assured yesterday that the government is prepared to deal with the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
President Benigno S. Aquino III, as early as January, had already alerted government agencies to prepare for any weather condition that may affect the country, whether it be El Niño or La Niña, said Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. Coloma, however, did not specify what particular measures will be undertaken by the government to address El Niño.
Villar’s solution
Meanwhile, the Senate Agriculture Committee said yesterday it would push for the purchase of cloud-seeding planes to address problems related to droughts and low water levels of dams.
“In the next budget hearing, we will see,” Sen. Cynthia Villar, committee chairman, said when asked what should be done following the recent crash in Nueva Vizcaya of a 40-year-old private plane rented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) for its cloud-seeking program.
Four persons died in that incident.
Villar said that she will raise the issue of purchasing a plane or planes for the DA’s cloud-seeking program when the Senate Finance Committee begins hearings on proposed budgets for the purchase of equipment by government agencies, particularly the Department of National Defense. (With reports from JC Bello Ruiz and Mario B. Casayuran)
Source: www.mb.com.ph/long-dry-spell-looms/
Angat Dam nears critical level; Davao power woes worsening
Ellalyn De Vera / MB
May 4, 2014
Manila, Philippines — Residents of Metro Manila and neighboring provinces may experience water shortage while power woes in Davao City are expected to worsen with the onset of an El Niño phenomenon that is expected to start next month and may extend up to the first quarter of 2015.
As of yesterday, water elevation at Angat Dam in Bulacan – a major reservoir supplying Metro Manila’s domestic water supply and Central Luzon farmers’ irrigation needs – was already near the 180-meter critical level.
In Davao City, residents are already experiencing a four-hour power interruption daily due to lower power production at the Pulangi hydropower plant caused by the decreasing water level at Lake Lanao.
Richard Orendain, hydrologist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Angat Dam is being closely monitored because water level may be below the critical level by next week.
Orendain said Angat Dam reached its lowest level at 157.76 meters in July, 2010, during an El Niño episode. During that period, authorities temporarily stopped the operations of the dam to protect its turbines from breakage.
“At present, Angat Dam continues to decline by 31 centimeters per day,” he said. As of 6 a.m. yesterday, Angat Dam’s elevation was recorded at 182.79 meters, lower by 31 centimeters from 183.10 meters last Friday.
If we consider the average water level drop of Angat Dam, its level will reach 176.30 this month, 169 meters by June, 161.60 meters by July, and 154.30 meters by August, he said.
Worst-case scenario
He noted, however, that this scenario will only happen should there be no rains at the Angat Dam watershed during the rainy season.
“While, an El Niño event is expected next month, the onset of rainy season will still be normal between May and June. Only the amount of rainfall will be below normal. It will be impossible not to have rains, especially during the rainy season,” Orendain said.
“At this period in 2010, the level of Angat Dam was already critical. But now it has not yet reached the critical level. I don’t think it will reach the previous lowest level unless there will be no rains, particularly in July and August,” he said.
Because of the low water level at Angat Dam, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) has already cut Metro Manila’s water allocation to meet the water demands of at least 12 million people. About 97 percent of Metro Manila’s domestic water requirements are sourced from Angat Dam.
Angat Dam also supplies the irrigation needs of 31,000 hectares of farms in Central Luzon.
In Davao City, Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Arturo Milan and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte led the dialogue with the barangay executives Friday afternoon to shed light on the reasons behind the 4-hour power woes being experienced by consumers.
Hoping for rains
“We hope rains will come early in Mindanao,” was the direct answer of Milan, replying to questions when the brownouts in Davao City would end.
“Fifty percent of our power supply in Davao City relies on hydropower,” Milan explained, adding the Pulangi source in Bukidnon that used to produce 255 megawatts of power has considerably decreased its production to 10 MW.
Milan added the water level in Lake Lanao is already down to 699.5 meters or about .4 meters away from critical level.
DLPC has an existing contract of 400 MW and a demand of 300 MW before the summer.
Of the 400 MW power contract of DLPC, 280 MW is being supplied by the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and is dependent on its hydropower plants.
Now that the water supplies of Pulangi and Lake Lanao continue to decrease, Milan said Napocor could only supply DLPC with 120 MW from its original 280 MW contract.
Palace assurance
Malacañang assured yesterday that the government is prepared to deal with the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
President Benigno S. Aquino III, as early as January, had already alerted government agencies to prepare for any weather condition that may affect the country, whether it be El Niño or La Niña, said Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. Coloma, however, did not specify what particular measures will be undertaken by the government to address El Niño.
Villar’s solution
Meanwhile, the Senate Agriculture Committee said yesterday it would push for the purchase of cloud-seeding planes to address problems related to droughts and low water levels of dams.
“In the next budget hearing, we will see,” Sen. Cynthia Villar, committee chairman, said when asked what should be done following the recent crash in Nueva Vizcaya of a 40-year-old private plane rented by the Department of Agriculture (DA) for its cloud-seeking program.
Four persons died in that incident.
Villar said that she will raise the issue of purchasing a plane or planes for the DA’s cloud-seeking program when the Senate Finance Committee begins hearings on proposed budgets for the purchase of equipment by government agencies, particularly the Department of National Defense. (With reports from JC Bello Ruiz and Mario B. Casayuran)
Source: www.mb.com.ph/long-dry-spell-looms/