THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is asking residents of Metro Manila and nearby areas to decrease their time in taking a bath amid the continued drop in the water level of Angat Dam.
DENR Undersecretary Carlos David said at least six liters of water can be conserved by
cutting bath time even by one minute.
“If you take a bath for 10 minutes, consciously, you do it faster and one minute is more than enough because if we all do that, that’s a lot of water,” he said.
Meawhile, David said golf courses in the metro are prohibited from using piped water from Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water as part of the government efforts in water conservation.
He said that the DENR has directed the operators of golf courses to ensure the use of recycled water instead of sourcing it directly from the metered pipes from the two water concessionaires.
“There is a bulletin that they cannot use pipe water in golf courses,” the official said.
There are at least 10 golf courses operating in Metro Manila and they consume between 700 cubic meters and 1,400 cubic meters of water per month, according to the data from the National Water Resources Board (NWRB),
“As far as I know, almost all golf courses in Metro Manila do not use MWSS water for golf courses. It is too expensive so they use recycled water. Just the same, there is this bulletin,” David said.
Aside from golf courses, the directive covers clubhouses and swimming pools.
“Clubhouses and (operators) of swimming pools, etc. are also tasked to conserve water,” David said.
He added that the DENR Water Management Office has also issued a bulletin prohibiting the use of garden hoses in cleaning cars and watering the plants and inflatable pools.
“The use of garden hose, inflatable pools are now prohibited but there are no penal provisions but still a rule. We are hoping that the Department of the Interior and Local Government will help us by directing all local officials, barangay officials to implement the bulletins,” David said.
As of 8 a.m. Sunday, the water level in Angat Dam had dropped by 0.39 meters after it reached 186.10 meters compared to its previous level of 186.49 meters.
It was 25.90 meters less compared to its normal high water level of 212 meters but 6.10 meters above its minimum operating level of 180 meters.
Angat Dam supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water needs and provides for the irrigation needs of 25,000 hectares of farmlands in Bulacan and Pampanga.
