This is the article that I knew I’d be writing back in June 2010, am I clairvoyant, do I have physic powers, or have I just lived here that long and absolutely nothing surprises me anymore? The answer is “Nothing Surprises me anymore!”
In June 2010 I wrote an article titled “Water Is Life” it was the story of my ten plus years being without city water, and the day it arrived at my house, ten years past the “New Millennium,” proves that things move very quickly here on the Archipelagos known as The Republic of the Philippines.
From June 2010 until early March 2011 the water flowed like, I’d have to say; “water!” As it was set up to fill my two tanks every day I had no idea, there were problems rumbling in the distance, raising its ugly head and preparing to smite me. Going out one morning to wash my new old car, I noticed it was flowing like, nothing! There was no water, and yet my tanks were full. After pondering that and my navel for a minute or two, I went to my font of knowledge, the lady who is all knowing, and a repository of all information Philippines. That’s right, my lovely wife Mayang. Who quickly explained that the water was off during the day, and was on at night! I wonder when I was going to be told about that?
I’ll assume that’s why my tanks were full, and I’d not noticed the rest. That was two weeks ago, now that our dry season is full on, there is no more water, and more than likely not be any until the rainy season next May.
I knew I was doing the right thing every Saturday when I’d go out back and drain my pressure tank, and then turn on my pump and refill it. I knew this day would come, and I thought it would be a good thing to not neglect my own equipment that brinks forth water from far under the ground to quench our desire for cool sweet water.
I’ve been pumping my own water now for a week, flipping switches, and opening valves. Before anyone stops reading and rushes to the comment section to inform me that I could automate my water system and forget about it, I’ll explain, that it is automated, I just don’t want to pay the extra electric, as it on and off’s itself 24/7. Forty five minutes every morning is fine with me.
Now on 24 March, early that morning and this time I am washing my new old car. The water District truck stopped in front of my house, and the very excited supervision informed me that water was in short supply and I was wasting it. I brought him to my meter and showed him the closed valve, and took him to the back to hear my pump, for the lack of a better word “Pumping!” (Funny he didn’t know he was out of water on his end)
Now for the funny part, I will be charged P 120 every month until they can provide water again. Which is a kin to going to a bar, being told they had nothing to sell, and receiving a bill for the beer you didn’t drink. It made sense to me.
There is a book by Herman Wouk (Remember; The Caine Mutiny?) , titled “Don’t Stop the Carnival” it’s a story about Norman Paperman, who leaves the rat race of New York, and buys a hotel in the Caribbean, and all the frustration involved. I kept ten copies in my bar in Puerto Rico and would lend them to any visitor who had the dream of coming there to live. I dare say it is just as valuable to anyone thinking of moving to the Philippines as well, and aside from it being a good read it’s quite funny.
Once you’ve read the book, this line will become clear to you, as I turned to my wife and I said; Honey, thank God, we didn’t sell our pump!”
Here is an excerpt from my article “Water Is Life”: “The month of June 2010, “not a leak, not a missed day of flowing water, all is good here on the mountain in Barangay Roosevelt, purok 2, Dinalupihan Bataan.”.
I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating; “When you come here, bring your sense of humor.” It will be your most important asset.
I’ll go take my shower now!
Paul,
I am intrigued by your roof top water tank and the semi-automated pumping procedure.
Our place in Calamba, Laguna always has pressure – low and sometimes very low.
Our demand shower heater has a pressure switch which I have bypassed, it produces water warm enough for my showers, if I’m not greedy about it. For Daisy it is not an issue as she prefers the pot and bucket method. I’ve tried it and yes it sure will wake me up in the morning, but usually I prefer to wake up more gradually.
Daisy brings her/our cat (cat? not cat, stupid me, CAR) to the service station for the full works it is low cost and sometimes engine cleaning as well, did I tell you fastidious she is with the car maintenance…
Jade
Lars (Jade);
The guy who built my rear water tower didn’t quite understand gravity,(he thought the world sucked) and made it high enought to supply the ground floor but not the second floor. I flew in from the ship, luckily just in time to stop him from extending the tower into the stratosphere. and bought a smaller tank to supply the master bedroom. My on demand water heater in the shower also has a pressure feature, and I love it. My wife is a Tabo kind of girl, but she will fill her bucket with hot water from the unit. I don’t know why, and won’t ever ask.
Sometimes I’ll go to a car wash, when I’m lazy, but I’m the one to wax the car. Engine cleaning and detailing work, like Daisy, I farm that out, because the kids that do it like my tips, when they do a great job.
Paul T.
I think well water is better tasting than city water anyway and also you get to control the flow. Ready for baseball season to start this week. Take care brother have a nice day
(Larry) hahaha
Papa Duck;
I drink neither one, we have mineral water delivered, but the both taste okay!
Paul
So as I understand it you are charged for water even though none of it flows, but no worries because you have a private well with a pump for your house.
What if you did not have such a well, does a water buffalo truck come tour house to fill up your water tanks for a fee?
Neal;
They are charging me for the water I pump with my own system.
My friend Sonny who is a well driller, also has a Water Buffalo truck, he filled my tanks the whole time he was drilling my new well.
Paul..yep you are prepared and good for you..that keeps the peacefullnesss in the house hold to a level that is healthy. I think all utilities charge some kind of fee even if they can not deliver…..so for those that are on same water line as you are there and not prepared like you are..they can just punt…I quess you are ready for brown outs also..because you have a generator..I am surprized you do not have solar panels on your roof and a row of batteries in the basement or where ever…then you pretty much be prepared…u have to keep the beer fridge working..huh?
Dan;
I have always said, “You should learn from past mistakes and prepare for the ones you will make in the future.”
When I lived in Puerto Rico I had a Night Club, a house, Condo and three cars, all on the beach. A hurricane named Hugo blew by as a category five, and I went from hero to zero within 24 hours. It was a little like divorce.
Here in the Philippines I live a tad inland and on a mountain, the wind might get me but the ocean never will again. Pumps, generators, and a man who delivers beer. Could I ask for more?
I’d thought about solar power, but those thousands of Double “A” batteries on my roof would blow off in a typhoon. (LOL)
Hahaha Paul, that 2 funny on double A’s batteries….ya is that is the kind of batteries you was thinking of using, best not go solar.
Dan;
After I read your comment, that mental picture of all those little batteries just popped into my head, I had to write it!
Paul T.
You mean you would rather have a generator than a dining room set LOL!
Papa Duck;
That is for sure, Dining sets will not keep beer cold!
Hi Paul – We also have water problems here in Bukidnon although we get more rainfall than the Amazon Basin, I’m sure. They just find it difficult to retain it and distribute it to the inhabitants. Last year however a squad of guys were all over the town with mechanical shovels and picks and wheel barrows laying a new domestic water ring main. Once laid, branches were fitted to supply each property with the inevitable meter attached which we had to purchase and have calibrated before connection could be made. I thought this is it the end of all our water troubles but alas we still have water rationing. Luckily I have a 2,000 litre ground tank and a 1,000 litre header tank and provided we have power we are OK for water unless the water supply to the house is off long enough for our reserves to deplete totally. Don’t laugh but we have a river close by and I have been known to visit there at a push.
The old saying ‘you never miss the water till the well runs dry’ sure applies in the Philippines.
Regards.
Jim.
Hi Jim;
I assume you’ll not be dismantling your home system anytime soon.
When the water shut off, it was really no surprise to me, as I said above, it was just a matter of time.
I have the same problem, if the power is off for a long time I’m in a pickle, as my generator, can’t power the pump. It happened one time after a typhoon and the power was off for seven days. But I had a water truck deliver every third day until restored. I still like living here!
Jim;
I forgot to finish my thought: “I assume you’ll not be dismantling your home system anytime soon for without them we’d be doomed. If I had that river I’d use it to fallback on also.
Hi Paul – If anything I may construct an additional ground tank as well as instal another header tank. We are fortunate in so much as there are only the two of us living in the house. Just to think when we first built the house I considered building a swimming pool ahhhh!!!! Better to use the river I think.
Regards.
Jim.
Jim;
As well (no pun) there is only my wife and I now at the house so we’re fine with the system we have. I had an above ground 15 foot pool, it was the maintance that caused me to take it down. But it’s still in my shed.
It may be worthwhile to fit a photovoltaic panel on your roof. You will be able to have well water even when there isn’t mains power (always assuming that the water table doesn’t fall below the level of your well!).
Steve;
A photo-what? (lol)
My wells pump is tapped into a 300 foot deep running stream of water, not a pocket. I’ve never came close to running out, (knock-on-wood) My generator will not run the pump, but I can store a 3 days supply of water in the tanks, and longer if we’re careful. If the powers off for that long, I’ll be in a hotel until it’s back on.
It seems that problems with municipal water systems there are something normal. When I started learning about The Philippines it was the first time I had ever heard of some people having a water pump and tank connected to a city water system to pump and store the water when it is available. I guess you are fortunate to have your own well.
Depending on how much water is available from your well, maybe you could buy your own water meter, pump some of your well water into the municipal water system, meter it with your own meter and then send them the bill as a water supplier ? They probably wouldn’t pay but you could still keep billing them.
Bob;
The problem is they sell more hook ups, than they have the water to supply to them, as was the case here. The city had enought water supply to provide steady to 10 purok’s, to date they’ve conned 17 puroke’s to the system, no one did the math.
My well is taped into an underground steam, over 300 feet down. I’ve never came close to running out. But to provide water to their system would cost me P50,000 per month for the electric, and I know they would still bill me the P120 per month minimum. We’ll never get over on them!
Bob;
After re-reading my answer, I realised that, albeit conned did somewhat fit, the word I meant was “Connected”
That is quite a deep well you had to have dug, that in itself must have cost a fortune. I have always lived with my own well water ( no municipal system here ). Fortunately there is a good supply of water here and my well is only 80 Ft. deep and has a recovery rate of 10 Gal. Per Minute. The area where I live began as a summer community in the 1930’s but now and for the past few decades it has been a full time year round community with more houses added, many former cottages converted into full sized houses etc. Board of Health and other specs now prohibit new house constuction in many of the smaller vacant properties here. We also have out own septic systems so this limits new house construction as well to minimise any cross contamination.
You’re right, the in ground water may be free but getting it to the tank and the taps is another thing. I went through 3 jet pumps here and last time switched to a submersable which I have a lot better luck with.
Imagine that, the cost of Electricity here in New York being significantly less that in Ph. I think I am paying about 13 cents per KW/Hr here. At least there are still a few bargains here LOL !
” Conned ” or ” Connected ” That sounds like is your San Mig half full or half empty.
I always enjoy your humerous viewpoints in your articles !
Bob;
My father had a summer house on Cape Cod, with a simular situation as yours. The land was 9.5 acars. A developer bought it and couldn’t use the land until he paid for city water and sewage five years later.
We pay 9 pesos per KW/HR here, and they want to raise it again.
Bob;
Drilling the well took two weeks and cost P 40,000, I had the pumps and tanks from the well that was debunked because the repair crew dropped the last 40 feet of pipe and we could not retrieve it. Then they wanted to get paid for the work they had done/screwed up? Thus, a new crew and a new well. My sence of humor was working overtime that day.
Hi Paul T: My parents’ two houses (Cebu City & Cagayan de Oro City) have water tanks of their own. Water may sometimes be off in the mornings. The helpers make sure that the water tanks are full of water at all times. They fill the tower every night. Also, in the bathrooms they make sure that the tall plastic trash cans are always full of water. You’ll have to use this water with the bucket to flush the toilets if there is no water. Exercise is not a problem. Just fetch water.
Roselyn;
I dearly hope those helpers are pumping the water to the tanks and not carrying it by hand. My city water had the pressure to reach both my tanks, and when I use the well water I have to use a pressure tank to get it up there. And all this in 2011, isn’t the 21st century wonderful.
Hi Paul: My father installed water pumps in those towers, so the helpers only have to turn on the water to the tanks. Otherwise, it would not be past my father to have a carabao in the front yard to haul water.
Roselyn;
I figured there was a pump involved, I was joking with you, But the carabao is an idea I’m going to think about! (LOL)
Hey Paul,
In Metro Manila, having a pump attached to the water main line will bring trouble between you and your neighbors. They would reason out that you’re sucking all the water out. But having a back up deep well water system like yours is always a welcome treat to….MERALCO! Isn’t it strange that a country like ours with 7,107 islands lying in major oceans of the world with a lot of fresh water supplies inland have difficulties in delivering it to its inhabitants? As they say, only in the Philippines.
Jonathan;
I’ll tell you another odd factoid about a place that has 7,107 Islands and a few extra at low tide. Both in the Navy and as a Merchant Seaman, I was surprised at the number of Pinoy Seaman that could not swim.
An old shipboard joke: During a Coast Guard Inspection, a seaman was running to his abandon ship station, the Inspector stopped him and asked what was the number of his raft, the seaman told him it was number 25. Do you know where it is? he was asked. Yes sir, It will be the first one in the water, as for me, they are all number 25.
Are you kidding Paul? Pinoy seamen that could not swim! Isn’t it a basic requirement in order to become a seaman? LOL @ your #25 joke hehehehe.
Jonathan;
The swimming is not that big a deal, the only real water test is putting on the cold weather survival suit while in the water, and since it is also a flotation device, it’s really not that hard.
We have low pressure in the AM here in Tagum City. That means no water on the 2nd floor but still have water on the first floor.
Dry Season? It has rained everyday this year. The Philippines has lots of water but getting it to where it is needed is the problem. Same thing in the States. Some states have lots of water and others don’t. Who wants to spend the money to ship the water in your state to someone else?
Gary;
Jonathan above, spoke of attaching a pump to the main water line to boost pressure, something like that might solve your problem.
Here on Luzon we have a dry season, a wet season, then a very wet season. It breaks up our year into seasons, just don’t wait for the leaves to turn colors.
Arizona ship’s water to California, so one state does. (lol)
Paul, I watched one ’em conspiracy theories show by Jesse Ventura. The US is even shipping its waters to China.
Jonathan;
It Jesse said it’s true, than we can take it to the bank! (lol)
Note to self: “Next purchase, 200 rain barrels for those not so rainy days”.
Mike;
Wal-Mart has a sale on them this week, just ask the greeter when you enter. (LOL)
Paul your article although tongue in cheek and for you somewhat serious ((-: you have touched on an important issue. Water is not an infinite resource and its in short supply as you know in so many places around the world. Take the U.S. and look at a city like Phoenix. The day will come where there just isn’t enough to satisfy the needs of it residents. When I was teaching I always told my students to do their best to settle in a geographical location with plenty of water. Consider Minnesota with its 10,000 plus fresh water lakes to a place like Arizona with its damned up rivers. I told them that in Minnesota whey can always drill a well and water is essential to life. Not sure they listened but I always thought it was a valid piece of information. Good luck with the water and keep those pumps primed.
Ron;
Very true indeed, we can learn to live without a lot of things, but not water. I watch my neighbors using a shoulder yoke toting 10 gal. (or 80 pounds) of water up the road from the community well. for them it’s not a shortage of ground water, it’s the lack of money to get to it.
Senior:
Living in Hurricane pron areas and a roll of the dice utility company you must have a sense of humor. It also brings back the Boy Scout saying “Always be Prepared”.
Having a back up system for your water and electricity is a must in the Phil;ippines and believ it or not in Florida too. Sure it might take you a little extra time, but it’s better than going without. Can’t live without cold SMB and a shower. Paul you got to admitt their is never a dull moment in the PI somethings always got you scatching your head. That’s a good thing it would be pretty boring if everything when smooth as silk.
I love challenges keeps the blood flowing and the mind a thinking.
Bruce
Glad to see you back!
Mike;
Shipmate, truer words were never spoken! Some times we need a back up for our back up. redundancy is a way of life!
G’Day Paul,
I live on the driest inhabited continent on earth so it comes down to storage for us (Australia). I have a small cottage and a couple of sheds in a rural area that until recently had no town water supplied. (It now does but is non-potable). I have a 30,000 litre polyethelyne tank and a couple of old gal steel tanks. I can survive an average year on rainfall alone (avg around 400mm per annum). The town water now gives surety of water supply. We have just come through 13 years of continuous drought which ended in the last six months with floods. There is no ground water where I am or it is too salty or the flow rate is miniscule. How do you go with contamination of the groundwater there?? I wondered given the waste is often not treatred and is free to soak into the ground. On the topic of charges, you oughta consider what our farmers in my region had to pay during this drought. For a number of years they received no water but had to continue to pay the rates (sometimes, for the larger landholders, over AUD10,000 (450,000peso) per annum)!!
Lee;
After reading that I’ll never complain again about water. Well, I’ll just complain less.
The rule of thumb is 50 feet of earth between the septic tank and the water supply. My well is 300 feet deep so that requirement is met. I have a lab test the water every year, and so far so good. (I tested the city water also with no problems) But we still don’t drink either one , but we do cook with both. I don’t know what untreated waste soaking into the ground you’re referring to, as I’ve never seen that happen in the area I live. (I’m on a mountain, and there is no farming up here.)
Don’t stop the Carnival is a great book, and even an album by Jimmy Buffett, singing about the trials and tribulations of Norman, and the local water and labor mafioso.
Rovineye;
I have to agree with you on that, I laughed every time I read it, and was thinking about Norman and the water problem when I wrote this.
Hi, my name is amor and a single mom. I have been looking and looking for a best way and in my budget water tanks and pump for my storey apartment. I have searched the internet about topics and forums but unfortunately I think I am too tired that my brain would explode with all the info and jargons on the websites of the dealers. I really need help and a sound advice what to do and what would you recommend. Thank you in advance.