Water refilling stations monitored

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Alarming rise in cases of diarrhea in at least two barangays of Loboc town in Bohol has prompted health authorities to check the water sources, including water refilling stations.

Loboc Municipal Health Officer Dulce Budiongan confirmed the recent rise of diarrhea cases in two barangays, where some of the patients claimed they only drank mineral water bought from water refilling stations.

Budiongan said it already alarmed her when several residents of Barangays Jimilian and Villaflor, and few from Barangays Ugpong, Alegria, Sawang and Gotozon came to the MHO for a medical check-up due to loose bowel movement.

The barangay chairman of Agape also came to inform that several people in his village had diarrhea, most of them already admitted at the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, she said.

Budiongan immediately ordered municipal sanitary inspector Susan Calacar to conduct water sampling on all water sources, especially water refilling stations, and the one in Cabadiangan area, where there was no water filter but only a screen attached to the pipe used to extract water.

All storage systems, water pipelines, reservoir and water tanks have been checked to trace the source of the contaminated water that could have possibly caused the rise of diarrhea cases. As of now, authorities are still waiting for the result of water analysis.

It has been noted that, usually during rainy season, cases of diarrhea would rise and it always pointed to the water, because of contamination from rain, especially those without filter or chlorination, said Budiongan.

Budiongan told The Freeman she instructed midwives and nurses to go around the barangays to advise the residents to boil their water first, even mineral water from refilling stations, before drinking.

The nurses and midwives also distributed Aquatabs water purification tablets that the Provincial Health Office had provided. One tablet is mixed with 8-10 liters of drinking water and after 30 minutes, it could already be safe for drinking. For water coming from the refilling stations, Budiongan advised to use only one tablet, instead of two, for a volume of 20 liters or one gallon.

Water sampling on the water refilling stations is regularly done every month, but the rise in the cases of diarrhea prompted the MHO to let sanitary inspector Calacar conduct it now before the next schedule.

If any of the refilling stations is proven that its water is positive of contaminants, the MHO would immediately close the establishment, Budiongan said, adding that there are five refilling stations in the upland barangays, such as Candabong.

There have been no diarrhea cases in these areas and recent outbreak only came from lowland villages, but Calacar said owners of water refilling stations said it was impossible the diarrhea patients got it from them.

Taking the present situation in Loboc, residents of Tagbilaran City also called on the City Health Office to closely watch the proliferation of water refilling stations that are now into price war, to the extent of diving prices to as low as P10 per gallon, a situation that made it doubtful if quality is maintained at such a very low price.

City Health Officer John Apollo Bernaldez assured the public that regular water sampling is being conducted on the refilling stations to make sure consumers get safe drinking water. (FREEMAN)