Talisay SP suspicious of water in barangays

CEBU, Philippines - Following reports of fecal bacteria contamination in two sources of drinking water in one of Talisay City’s barangays, the city council during its regular session last Tuesday urged the 22 barangays to submit water samples taken from all ground sources.

“The need for urgent re-assessment of the fitness of potable water extracted by the people at ground sources in the City of Talisay is of paramount importance in preventing possible outbreak of waterborne diseases due to the contamination of the water supply,” read a portion of the approved resolution.

Councilor Choy Aznar, chairman on council committee on Health and author of the resolution, described it as an “urgent move” to stop the spread of the bacteria especially that the wet season has already set in.

Last month the Provincial Laboratory of Cebu Provincial Health Office released its results of tests of ground water sources in some areas of sitio Campinsa, Manipis, which revealed that the water samples taken last June 7 from the three springs in Kanlaling, Campinsa had infinite number of fecal organisms in them.

Reportedly, residents get their drinking water from these streams.

Aznar said a team of sanitary inspectors from the City Health Office were immediately sent to the area to treat the water sources.

He said that “as soon as possible” they will educate villagers, especially those living in the upland and coastal areas, on proper hygiene and sanitation.

Aznar said that based on their inspection, the people in Campinsa don’t have comfort rooms and would rather prefer to relieve in streams or anywhere, thereby polluting their own surroundings.

“We learned that the past administrations gave them toilet bowls. But instead of building toilets and put these bowls to good use, you can see them being planted with flowers and displayed outside their homes.

So what we will do now is educate them, inform them how important a comfort room is,” said the young legislator.

Aznar said that by next week, his office will start coordinating with the 22 barangays for this project.

“We’ll do it as soon as possible kay nagsige na og uwan. Diseases may follow if we don’t act soon,” he said.  (FREEMAN)