By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

Minister of Resources and Development Fritz Koshiba on Wednesday asked the general public’s cooperation in the national government’s effort to conserve water in the best possible way as the country is anticipating the El Nino phenomenon.
"This is just a short term solution and we urge everyone to conserve," Koshiba told reporters following earlier announcements by the Bureau of Public Works that the water level at the two dams, Ngerimel and Ngerikiil, are going to their critical levels.
"Free Car Wash" are not allowed.
As of March 7, the water level at the Ngerimel Dam went down as much as seven feet.
Koshiba said that the long-term solution is to connect the dams to other sources and expand the water reservoir.
"In the long run, we have to tap the water system to the Tabeheding River but we’re still looking for funding," Koshiba said.
The government, he said, has already asked funding from the Asian Development Bank for funding of the design and that the expertise from Japan to do the feasibility study is being sought.
But Koshiba explained that the national government could not just do this without protecting the watershed in each state.
In the meantime, Koshiba said that the government is working to establish a back-up plan like transferring water supply from other sources in other states.
Koshiba has assured that there will be access to the public and that pumps would be available in the communities.
The public is advised to use water tanks as much as possible and start conserving like refrain from washing cars without the proper gadgets like a nussle for the water hose in it.
BPW Acting Director Techur Rengulbai said that a container shiuld be used instead when washing the cars.
The BPW has distributed letters to all the business establishments, like hotels, restaurants, schools, gas stations, on Wednesday afternoon to make the necessary steps in the government’s call for conservation.
"We appeal to the public because we don’t want them to wait now until the water is already gone. The water level is six feet down from the spillway," he said.
He said that it takes some six million gallons of water to be stored into the Ngerimel Dam in Airai to restore it to its normal level. The dam could accommodate over 25 million gallons especially during rainy season.
Rain is the main source for both the Ngerimel and Ngerikkil dams.
Koshiba said that although the El Nino will not affect much on Palau like in other parts of the Pacific, conservation, he said, is the main concern of the government before it is too late to be concerned.
The States of Koror and Airai need about three to four million gallons of water in a daily basis, according to Rengulbai.