BY CRIS DIAZ
One of the major problems confronting the Cagayan de Oro City Water District (COWD) is the contamination of drinking water.
About two months ago, there were findings that the examined water samples from the COWD were contaminated with e. coli. E. Coli is a “rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichia found in human waste.”
The City Health Office (CHO) initiated the water examination in response to complaints about stomach infections among some of COWD’s end-users. The water samplings were necessary to address the growing concern among city residents, especially school children, students, workers and adults who suffered diarrhea and various stomach disorders.
Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando Uy ordered the water samplings of COWD’s drinking water supplies to determine the extent of the contamination and likewise adopt measures to immediately arrest the situation.
While the City Mayor’s prompt action was commendable, the sampling and the examination of COWD’s water supplies should be done on a regular basis. Considering that health is one of the primary concerns of the government, the CHO should make regular samplings of COWD’s water supplies both on its source and the tap water supplied in homes and offices.
The regular sampling of potable water is necessary because while the water sources (e. g dams, reservoirs, and springs) are free of contaminants, the water running through pipes might have leaks, where contaminants sipped in. Email reactions/comments to [email protected]
[Here comes MARITES: Selected members of the local media are receiving hefty monthly allowances through passive image building of a political personality gunning for a national position in 2028.]
