EDITORIAL - A danger we should no longer have

Two children died of severe diarrhea while at least 50 people were hospitalized in four barangays in San Francisco town in Camotes Island.

Roque Morato, a nurse at the town’s Rural Health Unit, said the victims are from barangays Esperanza, Cabongaan, and Sta. Cruz, but most of them happened to be from Barangay Sonog, including the two fatalities.

He added the source of the illness was found to be their water supply.

“Nakakuha na og sample unya...actually naa nay result gikan sa atoang Provincial Health Office laboratory nga positive siya sa coliform…naay hugaw,” Morato said.

The affected barangays get their water from a communal artesian well in Barangay Sonog as well as from a private water system managed by a cooperative.

The laboratory tests results show coliform bacteria present in water samples from the private water system. This is the same coliform bacteria that can be found in the feces of warm-blooded animals as well as humans.

While nothing has been determined, we can surmise that the water could have been contaminated by the fecal matter of either man or beast, whether by accident, negligence, or perhaps even as a natural occurrence.

Artesian wells are natural wells that bring groundwater to the surface without the aid of a pump, the pressure of the aquifer underneath is sufficient enough to bring the water up. While artesian wells can be considered a natural novelty, it doesn’t mean they are 100% safe. 

It’s sad that even in this day and age some people still have no access to drinking water that is guaranteed clean and safe all the time.

Considering all the knowledge, machines, and tools at our disposal, we should already be able to make ground water safe for people as well as educate them how not to risk any contamination to their water supply.

In short, unsafe water is a danger that we ought not to have anymore.