EDITORIAL — Conserve water

According to a study, more than half of the world’s largest lakes and reservoirs have shrunk since the early 1990s. The same study places the blame on climate change.

Here in the Philippines we are experiencing our own share of water problems even as we officially enter the rainy season.

Angat Dam, which supplies water to 90% of Metro Manila, the other day recorded the highest daily drop in the water level from 186.55 meters to 186.15 meters or a decrease of at least 40 centimeters.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the water level is 3.63 meters away from reaching its rule curve elevation of 182.52 meters, the level needed for the dam to function. The weather bureau added that even the rains last week failed to improve the water level.

What does this tell us? We can’t afford to waste whatever water we have.

For those of us who have a water connection it is easy to take water for granted; all we have to do to get water is turn the faucet on. It is also easy for us to think that the rains --which are happening more frequently these days-- will readily replenish our supply.

However it’s not that simple. In the case of rains it’s often “water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink” to quote a line in a classic poem. Water falling from the sky or gathering in the natural waterways doesn’t always translate to drinkable water.

We must not forget that aside from the El Niño phenomenon, which is predicted to sustain a severe dry spell until early 2024, we are also facing more extreme weather because of climate change, which includes drier droughts.

It’s good that the government has called on its offices as well as households to conserve water as well as energy. Now we have to do our part. Let’s also not forget that we never miss the water until the well runs dry.