Cebu City to create own water testing lab

CEBU City Councilor Alvin Arcilla has proposed creating a city-operated water testing laboratory to ease the financial burden on small businesses required to secure sanitary permits.

Arcilla, in a resolution filed on Tuesday Sept. 2, 2025, said a city-run laboratory under the Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) would provide more regulated, transparent, and accessible water testing services.

The current system for water testing poses a financial burden on small businesses due to costly and unregulated third-party laboratories.

The city-run laboratory will test the microbiology, physical, chemical, and radiological quality of water before business owners can be granted sanitary permits.

The permit is a requirement to renew or apply for a business permit.

Arcilla recognized the growing number of water suppliers and business establishments in the city, creating a necessity for the City Government to provide a standard for safe, compliant, and affordable water testing services.

In his resolution, the CCHD is directed to conduct a study and coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) for the proper accreditation of the facility, including its equipment, personnel, and procedural requirements.

This includes the formulation of a budget which will be submitted for inclusion in the next available budgetary allocation for the City Government.

In a separate proposed ordinance, Arcilla also moved to exempt small and medium businesses that get their water solely from the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) from physical and chemical water testing for sanitary permits.

Under his proposal, the physical and chemical water testing will apply strictly to drinking water service providers such as bulk water suppliers and water refilling stations.

The CCHD will only accept water test results from third-party laboratories that the City Government has accredited.

Last August 7, Arcilla first brought up the need to review the City’s water testing policy and fees, particularly the involvement of a third-party tester that only adds to the financial burden of local businesses.

To apply for a sanitary permit, the CCHD conducts two-types of water testing; while the third mandatory test is referred to an accredited third-party laboratory.

The CCHD requires local business to avail of the third-party water tester for a fee. The fees reportedly range from P3,000 to P7,000 per testing per establishment.

Arcilla pointed out that almost 90 percent of these businesses’ water source come from the MCWD. / EHP