THE availability of clean, potable water is diminishing. Many of our rivers, traditional sources of clean water, are now polluted. We rely heavily on underground sources, but the problem is that our groundwater aquifers are receding. Worst, watershed areas which are suppose to refill our underground water sources are being denuded.
There is a frantic search for non-traditional sources of water. One of this is rainwater harvesting. This is now being promoted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. They are advocating simple rain harvesting methods like catching rainwater through house gutter or alulod for non-potable household use. The DENR brought this idea during the conclusion of the series of meetings in preparation for a multi-sectoral water summit to be held anytime this year.
Although the Philippines is known for its abundant water resources, some parts of the country are now experiencing scarcity of clean water due to rapid urbanization, increasing population, indiscriminate use and management of waste, and water pollution. There is also conflicting water use: for agriculture, domestic and industrial use.
There is a source of clean, free and abundant water - rain. Harvesting it at home is very simple. Simply place a drum or basin at the end of the alulod. The collected water can be used for flushing the toilet, watering the garden and washing clothes. It is not recommended for drinking, food preparation or personal hygiene because the roof and alulod are not sanitized. But with filtration and further treatment it is possible. This can be done on an industrial scale.
I’ve seen the rainwater harvesting facilities of at least two companies inside Clark Freeport Zone. At Hansa Toys, rain falling on their roof is collected and stored in a large tank. At the Singapore Airlines aircraft repair facility inside CIAC, they have a well-planned rainwater harvesting system which is integrated into the building design.
There are proposals to institutionalize the rainwater harvesting system through legislation. Examples are the introduction of a new provision in the building code that would require rainwater harvesting system for new buildings, and mandating all government offices to use only water efficient structures like waterless urinals and shower facilities, which will catch the used water for re-channeling functions like toilet flushing.
By the way, did you know that rainwater is better than deep well water for washing? This is because rainwater is naturally “soft”. Soft water is a technical term which means it does not contain dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. Water that contains these minerals is called hard water. The dissolved minerals, while safe to drink, make soap less effective. Because soap does not dissolve in hard water, much of it will remain in the materials being washed, leave scum in the wash basin, or simply go down the drain.
Hard water can even shorten the life of fabrics. Over time, this buildup of soap makes clothing grimy, drab and discolored.