San Roque Dam to release water Thursday noon

DAGUPAN CITY -- The San Roque Power Corp. (SRPC) will open one-half of one gate of the San Roque Multi-Purpose Dam Project (SRMDP) by 12 noon Thursday.

Tom Valdez, SRPC vice president, said this was because NPC believed that by 3 a.m. Thursday, the water level of the dam will reach the critical level of 280 meters above sea level (masl) and the arrival of another typhoon.

SRPC operates SRMDP as a hydro-electric plant, generating more than 400 megawatts of power for the Luzon Grid

SRMDP is the highest rock-fill dam in Southeast Asia and the second highest in Asia.

Valdez said SRPC would release the water as soon as National Power Corp. (NPC) completes its notices to residents of all downstream areas of the Agno River about the impending release.

SRPC and NPC have water release protocol drawn up in coordination with the provincial government of Pangasinan.

He said the opening of one spillway gate of San Roque Dam could release 79 cubic meters per second downstream of the Agno River.

This volume of water will add to the 260 cubic meters per second being released from the turbines of the dam, which it normally throws out downstream when generating 407 megawatts of power for the Luzon Grid.

Valdez said although the rains have stopped in the Cordillera mountains, there is another typhoon coming which might generate enough rains in the area in the next few days.

The released water from the dam will pass through the towns of San Manuel, Asingan, Tayug, Sta. Maria, Rosales, Villasis, Sto. Tomas, Alcala, Bautista, Bayambang, Mangatarem, Bugallon and then through the Limahong Channel on its way to the Lingayen Gulf. .

Valdez clarified that the effect of the released water from the dam's spillway gate will be felt only by residents of areas along the Agno River.

He said Dagupan is too far away from the Agno River.

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