DOH warns vs boiling water for drinking

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) warned Metro Manila residents yesterday against boiling their drinking water, saying that doing so may also be “unfit and unsafe for one’s health.”

According to Dr. Eduardo Janairo, director of the DOH for Metro Manila, there have been “misconceptions in the practice of boiling water,” like that it should be boiled by up to 20 minutes to kill harmful organisms.

Janairo noted while it is true that by boiling water, the “pathogens” or the infectious agents are killed but what a person may take in if they drink boiled water are “leftovers from the boiling process that may contain aluminum particles, corrosions, and toxic metals, chemicals such as lead, mercury and asbestos that have contaminated the water or the boiling receptacle.”

The DOH advised the public to boil their drinking water “only in extreme emergencies,” but Janairo added that “if possible, never use an aluminum kettle or container to boil water because some particles are removed when the container is heated. The best is to use a stainless steel vessel or a clay pot for the job.”

Janairo issued the warning following reports that tap water may be contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria. He said the water supply in Metro Manila is free from the bacteria, but if the water coming out of the faucet contains E. coli, the household’s pipe connection must be inspected because wastewater could have seeped through.