Gov’t to secure stability of Angat

State-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm) has commissioned a study that will look into and ensure the long-term safety and stability of the Angat Dam, a critical structure that provides almost all the water requirements of Metro Manila residents.

In a statement, PSALM president and CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. said the agency had tapped the services of Engineering Development Corp. of the Philippines (Edcop), one of the leading engineering consultancy companies in the country, to conduct the study on Angat Dam and Dike in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

Edcop bested two other firms when it submitted to PSALM the best bid of P30.79 million for the safety study, which will be conducted over a period of six months.

According to Ledesma, Edcop will also look into other major structures, like the 246-megawatt Angat hydroelectric power plant, a 131-meter rock fill at the main dam and the 52-meter rock fill dike dam. The company will also make recommendations to mitigate risks in these structures.

Constructed in the early 1960s, the Angat Dam and Dike is a crucial multipurpose structure for domestic water supply, irrigation, power and flood control. It supplies 97 percent of the service area of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), generates approximately 246 MW of power for the Luzon grid through the power plant, and irrigates 25,000 hectares of rice land for the National Irrigation Authority (NIA).

Considered a national security concern, the project is being undertaken in coordination with the MWSS, the NIA, the National Power Corp., the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the Office of Civil Defense, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, and the Provincial Government of Bulacan.

Edcop is primarily involved in the engineering and design service for power and industrial systems, water resources and agricultural infrastructures.

It has entered into a joint venture agreement with Tonkin & Taylor International to undertake the Angat safety study.

The New Zealand firm Tonkin & Taylor is an environmental and engineering consultancy company that provides innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions for a diverse range of clients.