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IT is appropriate that water is the theme of the 2008 Earth Day.
Water is one of the most precious resources.
About 70 percent of the earth’s surface is water. The human body
holds almost the same proportion. No one could survive without
water. Water has a thousand uses.
Fresh water is becoming scarce. If there are no
water lines yet, the liquid is at least becoming more expensive. In
many places in the Philippines, Filipinos have no access to it. Cebu
provincial officials are warning about drying taps.
Several years ago, the government warned the
public about developing shortages. Ahead of the half-rice rations in
restaurants, a half-glass of water was the popular suggestion.
Restaurants were urged to ask customers if they wanted water or if
they could serve just enough to slake one’s thirst or to finish
off a meal.
Supply vs. population and development
Water supply is racing against a growing
population and rapid development. The demand is huge and increasing
for drinking water and water for household use. New subdivisions
need plentiful supply. Have you ever wondered where the supermalls,
towering condominium complexes and golf greens draw their water?
There is great waste going on. Water flows
profusely from aging plumbing, defective fire hydrants and
unattended taps. In slums, water theft is a popular crime. . Carwash
shops definitely need regulation. Many citizens use water as if the
supply is infinite
La Mesa Dam, where most of metropolitan
Manila’s potable water supply comes from, reports varying water
levels, depending on the seasonal rainfall. Fortunately,
deforestation has not struck the La Mesa forest but there was a huge
outcry when a group wanted to build a housing project near the basin
that would have affected supply and threatened public health.
Biologically dead rivers
Elsewhere, waterways and bodies of water
including aquifers are choking with pollution. The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources has reported that more than 50
historic rivers, led by the big ones in Bulacan and Pampanga, are
“biologically dead.” The Pasig River is almost there.
The Pasig is a dramatic case of a failed rescue.
Administrations, private-sector organizations and volunteers have
attempted in the past half-century to rehabilitate the river beloved
by Rizal and Balagtas and Manilenos—and failed.
World organizations have taken interest but the
river remains in its Stygian state.
Neither the Senate nor the House of
Representatives, as far as we know, has given a hand. No effort on
the scale that revived the Han River in Seoul, the Thames in London
or the Hudson in New York has ever been attempted. The ferryboat
service and attempts to promote tourism on the Pasig are failing
because of the foul water. But there is much publicity.
Manila Bay an embarrassment
You could say the same thing about Manila Bay,
which is now a source of embarrassment to Filipinos. Laguna Lake,
the country’s largest, is dirty and drying up, threatening the
environment in Southern Luzon, Metro Manila and the central plains.
Commerce and squatters have taken over esteros and canals.
Filipinos love to pollute their waterways,
that’s for sure. Squatters living along the Pasig and other rivers
throw everything they could into the water. Plants, factories and
business establishments do the same thing. Manila Bay serves as a
big septic tank. Once or twice a year, the government, the private
sector and international groups clean up the Pasig and Manila Bay
but the exercise ends there. On the sea, ships get rid of their
wastes on unguarded waters while oil tankers could get away with
disastrous spillages without paying for it.
In many places, it is dangerous to drink tap
water. Typhoid fever, traced to contaminated water, has struck two
provinces. People are using deepwater wells more and more, sucking
up bottom water and weakening ground surfaces. At one time, the
Philippine Air Force was using cloud seeding to induce artificial
rain. Bottled-water companies are doing good business, that’s the
only good news. And summer is coming at full steam.
Sewage water to tap water
So, we have to save and use water wisely. We
have to keep looking for other sources. Don’t take water for
granted—that’s the message of Earth Day.
Scientists say the sea has great potential for
drinking and cooking. Salt could be removed from saltwater, using
three kinds of distillation, thermal desalination and osmosis. But
it is expensive. Those who complain about high rice prices will have
to forego every household need to have a bottle of potable seawater.
One other option is to convert sewage water to
drinking water. The Singaporeans have succeeded in that direction.
It’s not the kind of stuff that makes your mouth water.
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