The national government has called on the public to practice “small measures” to conserve water in their households, such as limiting bidet usage, as the nation faces the double whammy of a rapidly dwindling water supply and a strong El Niño this year.
Communications Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama, spokesperson for Task Force El Niño, suggested several ways ordinary households could help the country stem the combined effects of a prolonged drought and summer.
He offered the suggestion of using the traditional ‘tabo’ (dipper) rather than a bidet when using the toilet, as he warned that water consumers in Metro Manila and surrounding areas may experience weaker water pressure due to the dropping water level in Angat Dam, as this year’s strong El Niño continues to surge.
He also advised homeowners to turn off their water supply at night to conserve water in case of leaks, as well as not flushing every time when urinating, or adjusting the toilet bowl float mechanism to use a smaller volume of water for every flush.
The government is also discouraging the use of inflatable pools, a common way to cool off during the summer, Villarama said.
He suggested the public to take “conscious, deliberate efforts” to conserve water, like taking laundry to laundromats, which he said are less water intensive.
The preparations and precautions that the people of Metro Manila have to keep in mind as water levels drop due to the strong El Niño this year are something all Filipinos will have to consider as we go deeper into this year’s extended and unusually intense dry season. While water conservation and conscientious usage will be key this year, it will make sense for such measures to be a habit, especially as humanity deals with effects of global warming and climate change.
Our wasteful habits when it comes to water usage had to come to an end sooner or later. If there is anything good about this year’s El Niño, it is how it has given us the impetus to start doing what we should have done years ago.*
