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Water Conservation
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Posted on Dec 23 1998
The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation has issued measures to conserve water given that the NMI is now in the drought or dry season. The dry season normally begins to creep in around November when the trade winds whip up and the tip of the cold front from Japan eases into these isles.
Traditionally, the first rain arrives around April known in Chamorro as “Primet Agua”. Traditionally, too, it is during this dry spell that farmers prepare their land for the first rain in April. Farmers harvest their crops and clear the land for planting at the onset of the rainy season.
Residential expansion, all of which require the installation of flush toilets, has added to the perennial water problem. Leaks may continue to be blamed. But we must accept the price of modernity and its own drawbacks–the use of more of our finite resource to flush our toilets in addition to other more vital uses.
Indeed, it is raining intermittently as the trough from the east moves into the NMI. But the amount of rain that falls isn’t sufficient to fill-up our water lenses in that most turn to run-offs that land in water gutters and ponds that eventually find their way into our lagoon. While this happens, the use of limited water from our reservoirs doesn’t stop. Thus, the depletion of this finite necessity.
It must be understood that it’ll take quite some time before see the emplacement of an expensive water program or the long debated reverse osmosis system that remains in the debate stage. It is intended to alleviate water scarcity in the Garapan and Gualo Rai areas in order to free other wells that feed other constantly expanding villages.
Indeed, the holiday frenzy may deter our paying heed to CUC’s warning about water lenses or reservoirs going empty. We feel that this notice requires everybody’s cooperation in order to make this holiday season a festive one by conserving a finite resource we all take for granted. Imagine how much water we can save if everybody pitches in to ensure that there’s enough for everyone before the “Primet Agua” falls around April of 1999.
Let’s conserve water. It’s for everybody’s good between now and the next rainy season!
