2/3/2017 DependingonMaasinWatershedanillusorythinking

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DependingonMaasinWatershedanillusorythinking

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November07,201602:42AM

By:EdgarManaay

ILLUSIONS and delusions are common human psychological maladies. We tend to gravitate towards what seems to be the easiest solution to a
problem,wheninfactitisNOTso!ThisisverytruewithMetroIloilowatersupplyproblemwheremosttechnicalpeoplearelookingsolelytothe
Maasinwatershedasthesaviortothewatercrisis.

TheMaasinwatershedisanareawhererainfallsandhasasystemofstreamsandriverstodrainrunofftowardsthesea,specificallytheAgananand
TigumriverswhichmeetsinPaviaanddrainstoGuimarasStrait.

Thiswatershedhasamountainousoruplandareaof394squarekilometers(sq.m.)andaplainorURBAN(includingplaceslikePaviaandIloilo
City)areaof312sq.km.foratotalof706sq.km.

Basedona1997studybyaSwedishfirmSwecowhichwashiredbyMIWD,bothTigumandAgananwatershedshaveadirectrunoffofabout40%
andaninfiltrationof10%.

Thestudyextrapolatedwiththeuseofcomputerthat100yearsago,runoffwas35%with12%infiltration.

Todayitisestimatedthatrunoffisat46%with9%infiltration!SincethereislessraininfiltrationatMaasinnowadays,thereislessgroundwater
storage,henceminimalwatersupplyfortheriversduringdryseasonoffourmonthsperyear.

http://thedailyguardian.net/iloiloopinion/67224dependingonmaasinwatershedanillusorythinking 1/2
2/3/2017 DependingonMaasinWatershedanillusorythinking
Theabovefiguresspeakathousandwords!ThismeanswehavedevastatedourforestinMaasinasthereisatremendousincreaseofrainfallthatthe
riverswilldraintowardstheseaanddecreasedstorageofrainfallunderground.

Given the annual average rainfall of 2,500 millimeters (mm), typical of conditions in the tropics, and given the area of the two watersheds, a
differenceof1%ininfiltrationstranslatesto150,000cubicmetersperday(cmd)ontheaverageofrainfallthatcanbestoredunderground!

About6yearsago,thiswriterandamemberoftheMIWDBoardwentupthemountainsofMaasinfortwodays,uptotheheadwaterofTigum
RiverinUmingantoseeforourselvestheactualwatershedcondition.

Generally,topsoilwaserodedbecauseofTyphoonFrankandthereiscontinuouserosionbecauseofavastlydiminishedforestcover.

Therewasalsotheprevalentrearingofanimals(cows,carabaosandhorses),theseanimalscompactsthetopsoilnegatingthecushioningeffectsof
theleavesofthetreestoallowmoreinfiltrationandreduceoverlandfloworrunoff.

Letssidetrackforamomenttodiscussthefunctionoftreesinthewatershedhydrologiccycle.Theleavesoftreescreateacushioningeffectforrain
soitwillfallslowlytotheground,givingitmoretimetopenetrateorinfiltrateandbepartoftheundergroundwaterregimeratherthanflowover
landasrunoff.

Therearealsofoolishandstupidtheoriesabouttreesadvocatedbysomethatthefunctionoftreesistoholdthewaterandthatsomespeciesof
treeswehaveplantedarewrongbecauseitdrinksalotofwateranditmakesthewatersour.

ThedrainageriversofMaasinwatershed(TigumandAganan)aresupposetobethemainwatersupplysourceforMetroIloilo.Aroughprofileof
ReturntoTop
watersupplyfromAgananRivershowsthatfor2months/year,riverwaterdepthisbelow2inches,hencesustainableofftakeisbelow5,000cmd.
At below 3 inches depth for 2 months/year its 10,000 cmd and at 8 months/year where river water depth is above 3, there is no limit for a
sustainablewaterwithdrawal.

Turbidity(theclearnessofthewaterexpressedinnephelometricturbidityunitorntu)oftheriverwaterisafunctionofthewatershedconditionin
termsofthemudandclaysthatitconveystotherivers.

DOHandWHOturbiditystandardfordrinkingwateriszerontu.Atthepresentconditionofthewatershed,wehavetocontendwithawatersupply
of9001,000ntuonemonth/year600800ntu3months/yearandbelow300ntuforthebalanceoftheyear.

Processingcostat800to1,000ntuisaboutP7/cubicmeterbelow150ntuisP4/cubicmeter.

The MIWD Talanghauan water processing plant now being operated by Metropac even if expanded and improved cannot produce more than
70,000cmdbecauseduringdryseasonmaximumsupplyfromitsMaasinpipelineisonly45,000cmdandduringrainyseasonsupplywillnotexceed
70,000cmdbecausethe8kilometerpipelinefromDaja,Maasinis75%cloggedwithmud,againbecauseofadevastatedwatershed.

It will take at least 10 years for a no nonsense rehab of the Maasin watershed if there is political will (like total ban on human activities in the
mountain),themoneyandtheexpertise(notthelocalselfproclaimedwatershedexpertwhoclaimstheyhaveplantedthewrongtrees)ofpeople
likePaulA.DeBarryintheU.S.,mymentoronWatershedManagement.

Ifitisofanyconsolation,wehavesuccessfulbusinessmenlikeRogerFloretewhobelievesthatourriversistheultimatesourceofourwatersupply
andthattheundergroundwaterresourceshouldbepreservedforthefuturegeneration.

ItisthereforepurewishfulthinkingtoassertthattheMaasinwatershedisourwatersavior.Thereareothermorefeasibleandviablewatersources
forMetroIloiloifweonlyknowhowtolook!

ItisnotenoughtosaywearedoingourbestforaccordingtothefieryWinstonChurchillItisnousesayingwearedoingourbest,youhave
gottosucceedindoingwhatisnecessary.

Note:TheauthorisaprofessionalmemberoftheNationalGroundWaterAssociationoftheU.S.andtheWaterTreatmentIndustryGroupalsointhe
U.S.andthehydrogeologyConsultantoftheMunicipalityofPavia.

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