Public urged to conserve water

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is urging the public to be mindful of their water consumption “not only to save money on water bills, but more importantly, to protect this precious resource.”

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said that although water service providers have already assured that there will be a steady and ample supply of water during the dry months, usually from March to May, “it would still be advisable for us to use our water supply prudently.”

“We would have to consider that water is not only for domestic or household use,” Paje said in a statement. “We have to share our supply with the agricultural sector to irrigate our farmlands, which are vulnerable during the dry season; and with the power sector to generate electricity that is more in demand now for cooling purposes.”

While it is true that with the sweltering summer heat comes added pressure on water consumption, it would help if everyone limited water usage as much as possible, he said.

Paje also advised people to apply the same principles used in solid waste management in saving water.

“Reduce water wastage by using only the amount you need. Reuse what you can for other purposes such as using laundry water to clean your cars or floors or in flushing toilets,” Paje said.

Paje also called on the public to avoid throwing trash everywhere as it could end up clogging waterways and contaminating the water supply.

He warned that since very little rainfall is expected during summer, waterways could end up clogged or stagnant and become breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects, as well as cause flooding during the rainy season.

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