Water Crisis Solution: Rain?

It seems the more it rains the more we are in a water crisis in Metro Manila. Funny. And sometimes it’s not funny anymore. Especially when there’s not a drop of water from the faucet early in the morning and your digestive system is programmed to detox at 5 am. And your kids are also up early for their morning classes. Even if you have 5 toilets and a hundred faucets they won’t provide any water crisis solution.

But there’s a solution. They’re doing it in Singapore. It’s a new technology of recycling wastewater, treating it through the use of especially developed membranes that make it so clean and safe for drinking. And they’ve wisely invested in it. Experts say the year 2030 would find Asian cities more packed with inhabitants because 60 percent of the world’s population is concentrated in the region. Initial steps for a water crisis solution should be starting now before a worsened situation happens 20 years hence.

The problem in the Philippines is corruption. We’ve been pestered by chronic water problems and yet we have not developed any technological remedy for it—because we lack the funds to do it. Why the lack? Because of corruption. This is not to say that the present water managers are corrupt. It's more due to corruption in general since it started in the country years ago.

Even in the 21^st century our water crisis solution is still to hope for rainy days to fill up our reservoirs. Such a primitive method. We are an archipelago surrounded by water on all sides and yet we have this ubiquitous water crisis annually. We lack the technology to tap waste water and sea water for human consumption—or at least use a molecularly altered version of them or something to that effect, to substitute for fresh water used for laundry, car wash, street or garage cleaning, plant watering, and the like.

So where does all the money for water source research go? Why have we not started to invest on an alternative water source long before? As it is, our only "solution" to a water crisis is to announce it when it's here. With the population increasing each year, this "solution" is bound to get us all in serious trouble soon. Add to this the estimates of experts saying some 60 million cubic meters of good water go to waste everyday in most Asian countries due to pipe leaks. Pipe leaks? And if the leaks are remedied 200 million people would be amply supplied with clean water. Wow! So, why aren't they fixed?

How About Deep Wells?

Deep wells no longer provide long-term water crisis solution. In fact, they just worsen the situation with water tables in most places getting deeper, almost depleting underground water resources. Just look at what happens with our real estate boom. They turn rice fields into paved subdivisions. When it rains, the soil loses the ability to absorb water because it is now covered with thick subdivision concrete—compared to when rice fields flourished and took in water that seeped into the ground and into the water tables. Thus, as people put up deep wells, underground water is used up without being replaced.

I wonder why we don’t seriously consider desalination. Sea water is everywhere—literally! The technology may be expensive, but we have to prepare for that glum water supply scenario come 2030. In fact, we don’t have to wait for 2030; the debacle is already here, hinting that we should’ve started looking for a water crisis solution decades ago. Okay, forget about opportunities wasted—we shouldn’t cry over spilled milk. But, shouldn’t we start now? What are we doing aside from waiting for rains to fill up our dams? The picture on the right is a desalination device. Why not make a study of it?

Cloud Seeding?

The problem with this method is that, they seed clouds over water reservoirs but then the winds blow them away and the rains fall in the cities, flooding them instead. It often happens. Thus, notwithstanding the downpour, Metro Manila is still water-less, that is, except for the floods.

Okay, so the seeded clouds burst in the cities, not in dams. Can’t they remedy that? I mean, why not think of a way to channel rain water falling in the cities to the dams? The clogged drainage system and heavily polluted esteros and creeks and rivers prevent this from happening, they would say. Then, isn’t it about time they did something to resolve this once and for all?

Some would say the fault is with the people. They keep throwing their wastes in the river systems. If people do their responsibilities, and are disciplined, we would have more than what we have now. Oh, but that’s overused cliché already. They always put the blame on the people—and that line of reasoning is beginning to be more the solution than a mere remark. They resort to that truism when faced with the problem each year, and then go on with the usual I-hope-it-rains-more-this-year remedy. By the way, the picture on the left is a desalination pack.

However, Filipinos living in other countries are noted to be highly disciplined. They follow rules to the letter, like throwing wastes in proper places. Why is that? Because foreign governments provide the means to express discipline. They don’t just talk of discipline; they provide outlets for it, too. They have proper garbage collection and waste disposal systems. How can you not throw garbage into the river and creeks when no garbage truck comes around to collect them? What do they expect? That you sacrifice your family and keep the garbage in your house so that germs and bacteria breed in there to infect your kids or spread diseases?

There was a TV network that reported on the present water crisis. I was hoping they'd be asking government what concrete steps it is doing to ease the problem. But all they did was to show the extent of the water crisis, showing people getting in long lines waiting for fire trucks to supply them with water. That news coverage didn't help one bit. So, we saw how pitiful people were without water. What then? They should've included interviews with government leaders about specific plans to alleviate the situation, and specifically, how to fill up the Pantabangan with water. If worse comes to worse, what does government plan to do?

So, what’s the water crisis solution? It should begin with the government. They should stop corruption and lead an example conserving water, too. There was once a big water leak in our neighborhood which we reported to the authorities. It took them about a week to respond. Imagine the gallons of water wasted each minute. Experts worldwide say if everyone learns how to save water effectively, there’s no need to look for new sources of potable water. And government should spearhead in this resolve. God is faithful and has been providing what man needs. When we squander His resources, then we have a crisis—often, one we could not remedy ourselves. The picture below is not a fluorescent bulb. It is a sea water RO membrane.

Sunniest and Windiest Typhoon So Far

It all began on the morning of June 13, 2010. The sun was up and shining beautifully while I and several joggers went our routine around the block. After further workout I had some more time with God at the porch, had breakfast, and took a bath. Then the sky darkened and it suddenly rained hard. Well, after all, I thought, it's the rainy season already.

Later, morning classes were suspended. My wife called up to say there's a typhoon coming, and our youngest had better be picked up from school. I said I didn't see anything on any typhoon on the Net (I work home as a web content writer). "It's due to arrive tonight!" she said. Then why suspend classes in the morning? Hmm, this might be a case for Choy’s Blog? I thought. I didn't know that rain had started pouring like crazy on other parts of the Metropolis. 

The evening news said there was a typhoon coming to Aurora Province and Metro Manila was only under signal number 1. The newbie guy from PAGASA reporting on TV seemed nervous about his first on air live appearance. His voice was crackling. Nothing to worry about, I thought. With winds from 120 to 150 kpm, a signal 1 can only be slightly felt, if any. I'm quite familiar with typhoon signals. 

So at 9pm we were in bed. I told my kids to stop wishing for class suspension tomorrow. It was only signal 1--only preschool was affected. The weather was okay, no rain, no wind, nothing. 

However, I woke up at 11 past to the frightening sounds of howling winds. This is signal number 1? I asked myself, still on bed. I heard the roofs of my neighbors banging, like someone was playing on a drum set ceaselessly and wildly. And you could hear the winds whistling sharply. We were on the second floor, and our roof seemed to be crackling as well, but I told God I had nothing to worry about. I remembered Jesus sleeping amidst a crazy lake storm, and the boat was almost capsizing. I didn't want to be rebuked with, "You of little faith!"

The wind lambasted our roofs and trees for about 2 hours. Definitely, this was not signal number 1. Again, the weathermen were wrong, as usual. But who can blame them? Jesus had said, "the wind blows wherever it wills...no one knows where it comes from or where it goes." You just have to rely on God each moment, storm or no storm. I wanted to hear something from the radio people but electricity was out. So, I just decided to sleep. It was cold--a shame if you let that natural air-conditioning go to waste by worrying and not enjoying a cool sleep. 

Finally, the typhoon was gone at about 4 am. All quiet on all sides. Eerily too quiet. Lull of the storm? I didn't think so. The quiet went on till daylight was on. The birds started to sing. Earlier, I had worried about the birds and their nests, next to worrying about people who lived under the bridge or in makeshift quarters. God and I had talked about them as I tried to get some sleep.

My family was up at 7am (we usually rose at 5am). No workout for that day. We stayed in our front porch (the brownout was still on) talking about the night before. Later, other relatives from the compound joined us. It was perfect for a Choy’s Blog entry. We laughed out loud about it all. We had our breakfast of hot Milo, bread, a little rice, sweet potato, eggs, and fish and enjoyed the cloudy view outside. It was a nice, cool, and happy morning. 

A little later, the sun appeared--while typhoon "Bashang" was still punishing parts of Central Luzon. My real estate partner and her husband later came in their van and joined us at our porch. Then we decided to look around for new townhouses for sale in the community. The lights returned in the afternoon, and I and my wife and kids enjoyed FaceBook posting together for a while. We had veggies for supper, saw the evening news (my, what devastation from a signal 1--well, it was later changed to signal 2), and then went to sleep. BTW, the typhoon hit directly at Metro Manila. And those pics above on the right are Typhoon Smartphones.

I'm just wondering---the US Naval satellite and Japanese weather radar were able to pick up the storm from their monitors and trace its path. They warned of a direct hit in Metro Manila. My sister, who works for the US government, says the embassy here has been warned early on July 13 about the direct hit. If PAGASA isn't that equipped yet, then why not coordinate with the US Navy and Japan weather station? Pic above on the right is a Snap Eurofighter Typhoon Minis Kit.

Yup. It was the strongest signal number one ever--sunny, windy, and funny. ;)

Choy’s Blog.