BAGUIO CITY — Residents and tourists are being urged to practice water conservation as groundwater levels continue to decline due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.

According to monitoring by the City Health Services Office-Sanitation Division (CHSO), groundwater levels have been decreasing since January and are taking longer to recharge because of limited rainfall in recent months. Some water delivery businesses have also reported increased turbidity in groundwater pumped during nighttime operations.

The city’s Technical Working Group on El Niño and the Baguio Water District confirmed that lower aquifer levels are already affecting water supply in several areas. Officials explained that occasional afternoon rains are not enough to replenish underground water sources to sustainable levels. While surface reservoirs benefit quickly from rainfall, aquifers require one to two months of continuous rain to fully recharge.

The delay is critical because most of Baguio’s water supply relies heavily on underground aquifers.

Authorities are urging the public to minimize water waste, repair leaks immediately and recycle water whenever possible.

The situation could become more challenging after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration forecast a prolonged dry spell. Weather experts warned that current conditions could intensify into a severe climate event by June and potentially persist through the first quarter of 2027, bringing higher temperatures and below-normal rainfall that could place further strain on water resources.