Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HB.No.__ 5863

Introduced by Representative H. Harry L. Roque Jr.

COMMISSIONING A RESEARCH GN CLIMATE CHANGE DRINKING WATER
ADAPTATION
EXPLANATORY NOTE

The consensus among climate scientists is overwhelming that climate change is
occurring more rapidly than can be attributed to natural causes and that significant
impact to the water supply are already occurring, Among the first and most critical of
those impacts will be change to patterns of precipitation around the world, which will
affect water availability. Drinking water utilities throughout the United States, as well
‘as those in Europe, Australia and Asia, are concerned that extended changes in
precipitation will lead to extended droughts. Supplying water is highly energy-
intensive and will become more so as climate change forces more utilities to turn to
alternative supplies.

Since 2003, the drinking water industry of the United States has sponsored,
through a non-profit water research foundation, various studies to assess the impacts
of climate change on drinking water supplies, Those studies demonstrate the need for

a comprehensive program of research into the full range of impacts on drinking water


utilities, including impacts on water supplies, facilities, and customers. The non-profit
Water research foundation is also coordinating internationally with other drinking
water utilities on shared research projects with counterpart European and Asian water
research organizations to develop a unified research agenda for applied research on
adaptive strategies to address climate change impacts.

There is a need then to form a local counterpart body to take advantage of this
global network of knowledge to prevent a water crisis.'

(Hwy

H. HARRY L. ROQUE JR.

' This bill was originally filed by Senator Miriam Defensor Sant the Sixteenth Ci
a was originally filed by ‘Santiago during “ongress,

2


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE OF REPRE: ATIVES
18 No DB6S

Introduced by Representative H. Harry L. Roque Jr

AN ACT
COMMISSIONING A RESEARCH ON CLIMATE CHANGE DRINKING WATER
ADAPTATION

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. In General - The Department of Environment and Natural
Resources, in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry, and the
Department of Energy, shall establish and provide funding for a program of directed
and applied research, to be conducted through a non-profit water research foundation
and sponsored by drinking water utilities, to assist suppliers of drinking water in

adapting to the effects of climate change.

SECTION 2. Research Areas - All research conducted in accordance with this
Act shall include studies into:
1, Water quality impacts and solutions, including studies:
A. To address probable impacts on raw water quality resulting from:
i. Erosion and turbidity from extreme precipitation events:


ii, Watershed vegetation changes, and
tii, Increasing ranges of pathogens, algae, and nuisance
organisms resulting from warmer temperatures; and
B. On mitigating increasing damage to watersheds and water quality by
evaluating extreme events, such as wildfires and hurricanes, to learn
and develop management approaches to mitigate:
\. Permanent watershed damage,

ii. Quality and yield impacts on source waters; and

iii, Increased costs of water treatment,

2. Impacts on groundwater supplies from carbon sequestration, including
research to evaluate potential water quality consequences of carbon
sequestration in various regional aquifers, soil conditions, and mineral
deposits,

3. Water quantity impacts and solutions, including research:

A. To evaluate climate change impacts on water resources throughout
hydrological basins of the Philippines;

B. To improve the accuracy and resolution of climate change models at
a regional level:

C. To identify and explore options for increasing conjunctive use of
aboveground and underground storage of water; and

D. To optimize operation of existing and new reservoirs in diminished

and erratic periods of precipitation and runoff.


rey

4. Infrastructure impacts and solutions for water treatment facilities and
underground pipelines, including research:

A. To evaluate and mitigate the impacts of sea level rise on:

i near-shore facilities,
ii. soil drying and subsidence,
iii, reduced flows in water and wastewater pipelines, and

B. On ways of increasing the resilience of existing infrastructure and
development of new design standards for future infrastructure;

5. Desalination, water reuse, and alternative supply technologies, including
research:

A. To improve and optimize existing membrane technologies, and to
identify and develop breakthrough technologies, to enable the use of
seawater, brackish groundwater, treated wastewater, and other
impaired sources;

B. Into new sources of water through more cost-effective water
treatment practices in recycling and desalination, and

C. To improve technologies for use in:

i. managing and minimizing the volume of desalination and
reuse concentrate streams, and

ii, minimizing the environmental impacts of seawater intake at
desalination facilities,

6. Energy efficiency and greenhouse gas minimization, including research:


A. On optimizing the energy efficiency of water supply and improving
water efficiency in energy production; and

B. To identify and develop renewable, carbon-neutral energy options
for the water supply industry,

7. Regional and hydrological basin cooperative water management solutions,
including research into:

A. Institutional mechanisms for greater regional cooperation and use of
water exchanges, banking. and transfers, and

B. The economic benefits of sharing risks of shortage across wider
areas,

8. Utility management, decision support systems, and water management
models, including research:

A. Into improved decision support systems and modeling tools for use
by water utility managers to assist with increased water supply
uncertainty and adaptation strategies posed by climate change;

B. To provide financial tools, including new rate structures, to manage
financial resources and investments, because increased conservation
Practices may diminish revenue and increase investments in
infrastructure; and

C. To develop improved systems and models for use in evaluating:

i successful alternative methods for conservation and demand
management, and
ii. climate change impacts on groundwater resources:


9. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy demand management,

including research to improve energy efficiency in water collection,
sion, treatment, distribution, and disposal to provide

more sustainability and means to assist drinking water utilities in reducing

production, transmi

the production of greenhouse gas emissions in the collection, production,
transmission, treatment, distribution, and disposal of drinking water,
10, Water conservation and demand management, including research:

A. To develop strategic approaches to water demand management that
offer the lowest-cost, non-infrastructural options to serve growing
populations or manage declining supplies, primarily through:

i, efficiencies in water use and reallocation of the saved water,
ii, demand management tools;
iii, economic incentives; and

iv. water-saving technologies; and

B. Into efficiencies in water management through integrated water

resource management that incorporates:
i. supply-side and demand-side processes;
ii, continuous adaptive management; and
iii. the inclusion of stakeholders in decision-making processes;
and
11. Communications, education, and public acceptance, including research:


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A. Into improved strategies and approaches for communicating with
customers, decision makers, and other stakeholders about the
implications of climate change on water supply; and

B. To develop effective communication approaches to gain.

1 public acceptance of alternative water supplies and new
policies and practices, including conservation and demand
management, and

ii. public recognition and acceptance of increased costs.

SECTION 3. Annual Reports. — The Department of Environment and Natural
Resources shall submit reports on compliance with this Act to the appropriate
committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives annually for the first two
years after the date of effectivity of this Act, and once every three years thereafter.

SECTION 4. Appropriations. — The amount necessary for the initial
implementation of this Act shall be charged against the appropriations of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources under the current General
Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for its full
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act as a

distinct and separate item.

SECTION 5S. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is held invalid
oF unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other

provisions hereof.


SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary
to or is inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or
amended accordingly

SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general

circulation,

Approved,