CHO may declare Bonbon sea unsafe if coliform level worsens

THE Cagayan de Oro City Government Thursday, October 10, said the high level of coliform monitored in Barangay Bonbon during the second quarter of this year is no cause for alarm, however, a city health official urges the public to take caution in swimming in Bonbon sea.

City health officer Dr. Lorraine Nery said they are still waiting for updated water quality test results covering not only Cagayan de Oro seas but also the Cagayan river.

A second quarter water quality monitoring test showed that coliform level in the seawater of Barangay Bonbon reached to 400, above the standard 100 level.

Coliform bacteria are organisms that are present in the environment and in the feces of all warm-blooded animals and humans.

Nery said the 400 coliform level is already high and would have caused them to declare the Bonbon seawater not safe for swimming.

“But 2nd quarter paman to, and you have to understand that the body of water in question is moving, it is not stagnant. So possible nga na wash up na pud to ang mga coliform,” she said.

“We are still waiting from the DENR because their monitoring is continuous so we can really give factual and accurate public advisory. Para dili mi makahatag ug false alarm,” Nery added.

Nery said there is still no reported cases or persons hospitalized after swimming in Bonbon.

The presence of coliform in water cannot necessarily cause serious illness or disease, only a large group of coliform can cause this and may cause a certain body of water to be contaminated.

“In all bodies of water lalo na for public places, ato gyud pirmi public advisory is to practice caution in taking baths sa public places like swimming pools because whatever it is naa dinha sa tubig, naay possibility of ingestion, pwede mainom, through nose and mouth so ang general advisory gyud is to take caution,” she added.

City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office assistant chief Elvisa Mabelin said the city government already created a local Water Quality Management Area composed of the different government agencies, in a bid to address this and conserve the city’s water bodies.

Mabelin said an action plan is already laid out to guide them in policy-making.

One of the city’s actions is the procurement of its own water sampler for an easier water quality monitoring, she added.

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