DENR releases water conservation guidelines for gov’t agencies
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Water Resources Management Office (DENR-WRMO) on Friday issued its water conservation guidelines for government agencies amid the looming El Niño phenomenon.
The DENR, in a statement said the guidelines were released in accordance with Malacañang’s Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 22, which directed the agency to track all government agencies’ 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’s water consumption to no more than 50 liters per day, with frontline agencies instructed to monitor the number of visitors.
“Not 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),” 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 Niño would begin between June and August 2023 and would persist until 2024. (Bea Alicia Delariarte, INQUIRER.net intern)
