THE seawaters off certain barangays of the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Cebu along the Mactan Channel and in Talisay City are no longer safe for bathing because the effluents discharged by industries and residences are above the tolerable level set by the Clean Water Act.
But the other side of Lapu-Lapu City, which is facing Olango Island, is still safe.
Resorts, hotels and houses are being monitored by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) for their waste water discharges.
Mandaue City is highly industrialized. Cebu City is a combination of industrial and commercial. Lapu-Lapu City has the industrial and the tourist side.
EMB 7 Director William Cuñado Wednesday, Jan. 2, said the tolerable level of effluent of industrial and commercial waste water discharges is 200 mpn (most probable number). The level of effluent discharges of residences in Talisay City is recorded at 100 mpn.
Cuñado said the sea waters at the Mactan Channel and in Talisay City are above the tolerable level set by law.
The problem of Talisay City is that most of the used water come from domestic waste. The septic tanks have no treatment facility and have high probability of overflowing to the Mananga River and into the coastal areas.
“If we can correct the domestic waste problem not only in Talisay City but in all areas in Region 7, we can be assured of safe bathing in the seas,” Cuñado said.
He said EMB has no problem with establishments at the Mactan Economic Zone because they have a centralized treatment facility to treat waste water before it gets discharged to the sea.
Cuñado said the EMB strictly requires industrial and commercial establishments and residences to refrain from using “bottomless” septic tanks where discharges of used water go directly to the aquifer and to the sea without treatment, which is dangerous to public heath.
He said that if Dumaguete City was able to install a treatment facility to make its sea waters safe for bathing, why can’t the cities in Cebu do the same?
He added that under the law, the responsibility to put up a waste water treatment facility lies with water concessionaires such as the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD). MCWD is being supplied by Abejo Water Corp., Mactan Rock Corp., and Manila Waters.
“This means that the MCWD and other concessionaires will provide water, and at the same time provide waste water treatment facility for waste from septic tank and effluent of septic tank,” he said.
Cuñado said they called MCWD officials for a technical conference and the latter promised to put up sewerage and septage facilities. The MCWD said they are coordinating with Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) to help them complete a water treatment facility.
“In the meantime, during the statistics analysis, the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is still high due to lack of treatment facility for domestic waste. Hopefully, MCWD will succeed with its plan and introduce biochemical oxygen to reduce pollution,” Cuñado said.
Cuñado also said that after their New Year courtesy call with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu in Manila on Jan. 4 to Jan. 5, they will determine the areas of focus in monitoring and inspection of beach resorts from Naga City and the rest of Southern Cebu and from Liloan town to the rest of Northern Cebu.
Cuñado said the Department of Health (DOH) is the government agency tasked to monitor all kinds of pollution and their impact on public health. (EOB)