COWD says no water contamination in system but tests underway

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/22 September) —The Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) has issued a statement denying that its main water supply is contaminated following a spate of social media posts from the city’s residents experiencing bouts of diarrhea and vomiting.

From the Facebook page of COWD

The COWD said its laboratories conduct daily physical, chemical, and microbiological tests and said test results have so far shown no signs of contamination.
The water utility said it conducted a potability test following a prominent mall’s request on September 17 and said that while results showed clean water before the service connection, it was water from the mall’s own facilities which tested positive.
“We advised them to clean their tanks,” COWD General Manager, Edna Najeal said.
Najeal reminded establishments and residents who have their own water tanks to regularly clean them as these could be the source of contamination.
She also said they conducted tests on 100 sampling points within their service area on Sunday, September 21 and none has tested positive so far for E.coli or similar contaminants. Najeal, however, clarified that complete results are yet to be released but are expected within 24 hours.
COWD Board of Director Gerry Caño, meanwhile, said that while COWD secures water “up to the meter,” businesses selling or storing water for drinking, irrigation, or industrial use, fall under the responsibility of government agencies.
“Dili nana jurisdiction sa Water District,” (That is no longer the Water District’s jurisdiction), Caño said, urging the City Health Office (CHO) and Department of Health (DOH) to strengthen oversight in these areas.
Posts concerning the water quality have gone viral in the past days leading several restaurants to temporarily halt the serving of complimentary purified water, soft drinks with ice, and even culinary specialties such as kinilaw (ceviche), salads, and fruit shakes to minimize risk
Some restaurants have had to issue statements to announce that they have shifted to using 100% mineral water for both cooking and drinking.
(Henniequel Shayne G. Acobo/MindaNews)