Basang Basa sa Ulan

The artesian well has been a vital water-system since the old testament of the Holy Bible.  The builders of artesian wells dig vertical shafts deep into the ground until they tap into a water-source trapped beneath bed-rock and soil.  They then widen the shaft and build mortar-support so the walls  won’t collapse on itself.  An artesian well can be rigged with a pump using hydraulics to suck out the water from the ground.  A bucket tied to a long rope has also been as effective in gathering water from an artesian well. 

There are drawbacks from relying on artesian wells as a water source. First, it is bound to dry up.  Since you are simply drawing fluid “trapped” under the earth, you don’t expect the well to give you a perpetual supply  water.  It will eventually run out.  That is the reason why alternative water supplies are now being seriously studied world wide.  Secondly, when the source of the water-trap begins to dry up, the ground on top will eventually sink.  This is called “liquefaction”.  When the pressure of the water is released, the walls of the water-trap beneath the ground slowly  collapses.  This phenomenon causes the top-soil to degenerate and slowly “sink” the communities where the artesian wells are located. 

While man-made dams seem to be the solution to the supply of drinking-water and irrigation requirements, it is also not a permanent solution.  Man-made dams can collapse.  Man made dams collect water from rain-fall or temporarily store water flowing down from elevated sources. If an El Nino phenomena occur on a five-year stretch, we are looking at parched throats from an angry mob. The next world war may not be a fight for the resource of oil but from drinking water.  Red-China will be at the forefront of this scenario as they may simply block all the melting ice-water that flows from their territories down to the rest of the Asian region.

There is a push from scientists to study a  “rain-collection” program as a supplement to dams. The scientists are suggesting that society start collecting rain water in their own houses, apartments, building, and condominiums. Collected rain-water is supposedly distilled and would need minimum chemical treatment for it to become potable. In my beloved Pilipinas, there are only two seasons and one of them sends so much rain water each year. 

If this rain-collection program can be implemented on the local-government level requiring each house, apartment, condominium, and building to safely-store rain water, we are looking at a more sustainable water supply for the generations ahead.