Wawa Dam (Rodriguez)

 dam, rehabilitation, interesting place, hydroelectric power station

A German firm is set to start construction of a hydroelectric power plant in Rizal next week.

Hannes Mueller, Hydrotec Renewables Inc director, said the company will kick off the Wawa-Montalban hydro project come Monday.

The P420 million project consists of a series of small hydro plants that will be put up along the Marikina River and its tributaries.

The hydro plants are projected to generate 18 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year or roughtly two megawatts of power generating capacity.

The hydro plants will use run-off-river technology to generate electricity, which does not entail the construction of large dams or reservoirs.

Besides producing electricity from a renewable energy source, the project will also serve as a flood-control tool for the Marikina and Pasig rivers, as well as for Laguna de Bay.

The hydro plants will also be installed with water cleaning machines that will remove any debris and other solid wastes from the water sources.

Hydrotec is a renewable energy firm based in Germany with over 25 years of experience in engineering, construction, rehabilitation and operation of small hydro plants, as well as in the supply, installation and maintenance of machinery and technology for the conventional and renewable power industry.

Wawa Dam was constructed by the Americans in 1909 as the primary water source for Manila. The dam ceased operation in the 1960’s when the Ipo-La Mesa-Angat watershed was established.
Since its decommissioning, the dam’s lower river and upper lake were frequented by local tourists and campers for its breathtaking scenery and ethereal beauty. The volume of water pouring from the reservoir in the upper lake to the dam wall and the gurgling water around the primordial rock boulders sitting on the river provide a refreshing treat to the senses and to the spirit.
But the dam is far from amusing. It has a grim history. The locals believe that its nangunguha, it summarily takes a human life. Its victims were usually first born males. Survivors claimed that a strong force was pulling them down while swimming even on shallow parts of the river. A local television documentary named the supernatural force as Pandora, a river fairy who has been raped by a mortal and has sought revenge by drowning her unsuspecting victims.
Traveling to Wawa Dam took us to an easy drive across the well-paved roads of San Mateo and then to the mountain road of Rodriguez until we reached, literally the end of the road at Barangay San Rafael.