MALACAÑANG instructed government agencies to take the lead in water conservation efforts amid a looming dry spell caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
Deputy presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said the agencies can start by inspecting their buildings’ water pipes to make sure no water is lost to leaks.
“Government agencies maintain several buildings. The first measure they can take is to inspect water pipes and faucets to make sure they do not leak. Much water is lost due to leaks,” he said on government-run dzRB radio.
He also said that government agencies should take a closer look at replacing their older urinals with “waterless” urinals.
Even local governments should start taking measures to conserve water as well, he said.
“There are conservation measures such as waterless urinals that they can study. We should consider all possible measures to prevent the wastage of water,” the Palace official stated.
A government task force headed by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap is already studying other water conservation measures to counter the dry spell.
Such measures include cloud seeding over areas that may suffer the brunt of dry spells.
“Local governments can also play a major role in helping conserve water,” said Saludo. (JMR/Sunnex)