The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) assured the scheduled rehabilitation of the auxiliary turbine unit 2 (AU2) at the Angat hydroelectric power plant will not affect water supply in Metro Manila.
MWSS said the rehabilitation is set to begin today, August 8 and will go on until April 8, 2023.
The agency said water allocation from Angat dam is transmitted through auxiliary turbines 1 to 5 as well as through by-pass 1 and 2 which requires periodic rehabilitation to ensure they remain in working order for the longer term and do not present any danger to third parties as they are regularly in use and exposed to a variety of weather conditions.
MWSS added the rehabilitation involves complete dismantling and replacement of old systems apart from assembly and installation of new and automated systems.
The agency also assured the Angat Dam Operations and Management Inter-agency
Technical Working Group agreed to the shutdown of AU2 only after it was satisfied that the impact and risk had been substantially mitigated.
MWSS administrator Leonor Cleofas said in a statement while normal dam operations will be affected by the repair, the risk to water supply is low as the dam will maintain its ability to release water through the by-passes of the auxiliary turbines and the operation of the low-level outlet.
Cleofas said an alarm system that alerts operators to sudden decreases in flow detected by stream gauges will prevent domestic water allocation from being reduced.
Angat Dam currently supplies 97 percent of Metro Manila’s water requirements.