Concerning Water

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

It remains the most critical need of the human body, one element that the human race cannot live without: clean, potable water. People in the provinces have probably heard of the horror stories of the water shortages in the big city, where water for the most basic, domestic needs have to be delivered by trucks in certain areas, but have never really related to that problem because of the abundant supply of fresh water from our springs and aquifers. However, we have forgotten that abundant does not necessarily mean infinite, and as our population increases and our cities expand, civilized man's insatiable need for water will naturally tax even the most abundant reserves of any natural resource.

The announcement from the Western Visayas Association of Water Districts that most water districts are experiencing supply problems, therefore, comes as an unwelcome splash of reality. We all know that the hot summer months naturally cause our spring water sources to dry up, but the worrying bit is the statement admitting that the problem has been getting worse with each passing year. Many factors have been blamed as the cause of this problem. One is the reduced rainfall brought about by the El Niño global weather phenomenon, a manifestation of the Earth's changing climate. Another is the unregulated digging of deep wells. Yet another would be our wasteful practices in consuming this precious resource.

Since this problem will ultimately concern us all, we must take the preservation of water seriously. Citizens and consumers must take a more conscious effort to practice water conservation. The water distributors must also do their part by ensuring the proper condition of their facilities. The admission of an executive that the old and leaky pipes of their antiquated distribution network cause up to 40 percent of the water they produce to be wasted is cause for significant concern. Such irresponsible wasteage cannot be tolerated. Scientists and visionaries predict that the next wars of this world will not be fought over oil, but water. Considering that 20 years ago, many of us scoffed at the thought of buying drinking water yet today it is a common practice, their predictions do not seem far-fetched. Water is increasingly becoming a valuable resource, and as such, we cannot afford to continue squandering it. If we do not take this problem seriously, the day will come when clean and cool water flowing freely from our taps will become just another pleasant memory.*