Environmentalists call for water conservation

AN environmental watchdog has joined the mounting call for water conservation as the water level in Angat dam continues to plummet because of the lack of rains.

The EcoWaste Coalition urged Metro Manila water users to watch and cut their water consumption after the Angat River Hydro Electric Power Plant (ARHEPP) announced that a drop of the water level to 203.25 meters above sea level (masl), which are several meters below the normal elevation of 210 masl to 214masl.

Angat dam’s decreasing water level prompted enginner Rodolfo German, ARHEPP general manager, to advise water concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services to urge their customers to conserve water.

ARHEPP’s announcement was followed by a warning on Tuesday by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System of possible water shortage in Metro Manila beginning April because of the declining water level in the reservoir that supplies 97 percent of Metro Manila’s domestic water supply.

“While we hope that the rains will come soon and fill the dam before the intense summer months, Metro consumers this early should start saving water and make it a practice all year-round,” said recycling advocate Ofelia Panganiban of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“By using water, a shared resource, carefully and sparingly, we avoid wastage and help ensure that our people’s water requirements are complied with,” she stressed. –Francis Earl A. Cueto, Manila Times