La Mesa Dam and Reservoir
The La Mesa Dam and Reservoir is an earth dam in Quezon City, Philippines. Its reservoir can hold up to 50.5 million cubic meters (1,780 million cubic feet), occupying an area of 27 square kilometers (10 sq mi). It is part of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system, which supplies most of the water supply of Metro Manila.
| La Mesa Dam | |
|---|---|
 La Mesa Reservoir | |
| Location | Greater Lagro, Quezon City, Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14.716373°N 121.072404°E |
| Purpose | Water supply |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1929 |
| Built by | Manila Water District |
| Operator(s) | Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Earth fill dam |
| Impounds | Tullahan River |
| Height | 24 meters (79 ft) |
| Elevation at crest | 82.5 meters (271 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | La Mesa Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 50.5 million m3 (1,780 million cu ft) |
| Catchment area | 27 square kilometers (10 sq mi) |
History
The La Mesa Dam was constructed in 1929 during the United States administration of the Philippines. Sometime between 1920 and 1926, the Metropolitan Water District (a predecessor agency of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System) decided to build a replacement for the old Wawa Dam in Montalban, Rizal. The Wawa Dam which serves Manila and surrounding locales had to be replaced due to the growing population of the Manila area.[1]
The La Mesa was built in Novaliches, which was then still part of the municipality of Caloocan due to the sloping topography of the watershed area from Bulacan. The La Mesa dam later became part of a larger dam system with the opening of the Ipo Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan in 1936, the Angat Dam in the same locale in 1967. The three dams formed part of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system.[1]
The La Mesa Dam was raised in 1959 to increase the reservoir's maximum capacity to its current level.[2]
Dam
The La Mesa Dam is an earth dam with a height of 24 meters (79 ft). The elevation at its crest is 82.5 meters (271 ft) while the elevation at its overflow section is 80.15 meters (263.0 ft) .[3]
Reservoir
The La Mesa Reservoir has a maximum capacity of about 50.5 million cubic meters (1,780 million cubic feet). Water from the reservoir spills into the Tullahan River which transports the water to the Manila Bay.[1]
Administration
The La Mesa Watershed Reservation which hosts the dam and reservoir is jointly administered, supervised, and controlled by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippine national government and the is under the joint administration, supervision and control of the (DENR) and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).[1]
Water supply
The La Mesa Dam is part of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system which supplies water to the population of Metro Manila and surrounding provinces.[1]
The water collected in the reservoir is treated at the La Mesa and Balara Treatment Plants. The La Mesa facility has a design capacity of 2,400 million litters per day (mld) while the Balara facility has a capacity of 1,600 mld. The La Mesa treatment facility serves the western half of Metro Manila while the Balara facility serves the eastern portion of the metropolis.[4]
Whenever the water level of the dam drops below 69 meters (226 ft) or the critical mark, the MWSS, Maynilad, and Manila Water begin to regulate the water supply they dispense to their patrons.[1]
See also
- List of lakes in the Philippines
References
- "How La Mesa Dam became part of Metro Manila's water supply system". Philippine News Agency. 24 March 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- "Water and Used Water Facilities". Manila Water. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- "The Study of Water Security Master Plan for Metro Manila and its Adjoining Areas" (PDF). JICA Report: Water Balance Study. Japan International Cooperation Agency, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (Final Report): A - 52. March 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- "Metro Manila Water Supply System". Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
