MANILA, Philippines — Amid a looming water crisis due to the threat of El Niño, local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila have yet to “finalize” their measures to conserve water.
Some LGUs have come up with recommendations on avoiding water shortage, which would be presented to the Metro Manila Council (MMC) probably this week, according to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMD A) acting chairman Romando Artes.
The said LGUs would compare best practices that they initially came up with, and would be laid down during the meeting of the MMC, a body composed of the 17 Metro Manila mayors that create the MMDA’s policies.
“There is a recommendation to regulate establishments that have strong water consumption. For example, golf courses, we are finding out what their minimum requirement is so it won’t disrupt their business because it’s difficult if water supply is suddenly cut, and they need it for business,” Artes said in English and Filipino.
There is also a proposal to tap sewage treatment plants to recycle water instead of discharging it to nearby waterways.
“At sewage treatment plants, how water can be used for secondary purposes is being studied. Not for drinking. But those used for laundry can be used to water plants, wash vehicles. Water that pass through sewage treatment plants, what can be done instead of releasing them to estuaries, they could still be harvested and used,” Artes said.
MMC president and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora previously said Metro Manila LGUs could enact ordinances that would tackle water conservation efforts, including a possible regulation of water consumption of businesses.
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, however, said the city government does not consider regulating the use of water by businesses in the city, as she pointed out that businesses have to protect their interests.
She suggested that the city government could appeal to businesses to conserve water amid a looming shortage due to the ongoing El Niño or dry spell in the country.
The Manila city government has reminded its employees both at the city hall and its satellite offices to practice measures to save water, according to the mayor.
For instance, personnel should ensure that water supply at the city hall is turned off after office hours, except in government hospitals that need round-the-clock water supply.
Rains brought by Tropical Depression Dodong slightly raised the water level of Angat Dam, which had gone below the critical level of 180 meters.
Water supply providers in Metro Manila have warned that their customers could endure hours of interrupted water supply.
Department of Water Resources
Meanwhile, it would be dificult to push for the creation of a Department of Water Resources (DWR) to be included in the administration’s priority bills because of the government’s policy on rightsizing, according to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
In an interview with radio dwIZ on July 15, Zubiri said the country’s economic managers have always stressed the need to streamline government functions to prevent redundancy during their meetings with the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
“During the LEDAC, secretaries of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Department of Finance (DOF) have advised rightsizing and streamlining the government bureaucracy to save on funds,” Zubiri said.
The Senate president was reacting to Sen. Grace Poe’s call for the administration to prioritize passing a law that will create a dedicated water resources department amid the threat of El Niño in the country.
During the Kapihan sa Senado forum July 12, Poe said a central agency is urgently needed to streamline the mandates of regulatory bodies, such as the the Local Water Utilities Administration and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, to better administer water and find more sustainable sources.
In Poe’s Senate Bill 102, or the proposed “National Water Resource Management Act,” a DWR will serve as the “primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, monitoring and administrative entity of the executive branch,” while a Water Regulatory Commission will serve as an independent, quasi-judicial body that will “rationalize the economic as well as administrative regulation of water utilities.”