MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Department of Environment and Natural Resources 鈥� Water Resources Management Office (DENR-WRMO) on Friday issued its water conservation guidelines for government agencies amid the looming El Ni帽o phenomenon.
The DENR, in a statement said the guidelines were released in accordance with Malaca帽ang鈥檚 Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 22, which directed the agency to track all government agencies鈥� progress toward water conservation by analyzing their monthly water bills.
Based on the guidelines, every government facility must have its own water meter, with personnel frequently checking to ensure proper operation.
The guidelines also require building administrators to periodically review the water meter to detect leaks and defective water fixtures..
Primary building valves should also be turned off after the last person leaves the building or from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day.
It also limited each government employee鈥檚 water consumption to no more than 50 liters per day, with frontline agencies instructed to monitor the number of visitors.
鈥淣ot more than 180 liters per day in households/condominiums and 24/7 offices. Multiply these per capita consumption guides and compare with your total monthly consumption (1,000 liters = 1 cubic meter),鈥� the guideline added.
For duties like street sweeping and watering plants, the WRMO proposed harvesting rainwater to reduce water usage.
The state weather bureau previously projected that El Ni帽o would begin between June and August 2023 and would persist until 2024. (Bea Alicia Delariarte, 黑料社 intern)