MORE than 20 residents, mostly children, in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City, experienced diarrhea due to the local water supply.
Agnes Realiza, head of the City Health Office (CHO), told reporters on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, that this was the first time 25 residents from Sitio St. Vincent in Barangay Mactan experienced vomiting and diarrhea.
“Pag-interview namo nagsugod gyud siya pag Sabado, naay usa ka kaso. (In our interview, it [diarrhea] started on Saturday, there was one case),” said Realiza.
“Nadaghan ang kaso pagka-Lunes, Martes, mao na sila duha ka adlaw pag Miyerkules naa pud gamay. Pag Thursday, wala na (There were more cases on Monday, Tuesday, that’s two days; on Wednesday, there were few. On Thursday, there was none),” she added.
Of the figure, eight were admitted to the hospital but were later discharged.
Most cases included children aged one to 10, with eight cases, followed by adults from ages 31 and above, with seven, and a lone case reported to be between the 11 and 20 age bracket.
Preliminary investigation showed that the possible cause of the mild infection came from water lines supplying around 150 households in the area.
The inspection team found out that the water supplier had not been following the exact standard for safe potable water that covers regular water sampling and a chlorinator.
A resident whose child was hospitalized said in a separate interview that they use the water source for washing dishes and cooking rice. She suspected that this might be the cause of her child’s symptoms, as they purchased distilled water for drinking.
Securing pipelines
Realiza stressed that to ensure a safe water supply, the water provider should make sure that pipelines are not ruptured or buried under land and that the main source is clean.
The water supplier responded that they conducted monthly chlorination. However, they said that their chlorinator either broke down or was transferred, which may have caused the issue.
The CHO has requested proof from the supplier that they conducted chlorine testing and collected a water sample, along with evidence that they analyzed the laboratory results.
“What we did at the CHO was that we closed it, we took a sample of the water, and after that, we added chlorine,” said Realiza in Cebuano.
Also, the health department recommended replacing the old water tank and purchasing a new chlorinator. Benjie Celera, a CHO sanitary inspector, said on Sunday, Oct. 20, that a chlorinator was already applied and the old water tanks were replaced with new ones.
The CHO still needs to replace the water pipes in the area, as some have been tied and connected using rubber.
The results from the water samples are expected to come out on Monday, Oct. 21.
On Oct. 16, SunStar Cebu reported that at least 20 households in Sitio Kakunsor, Isuya, and Mactan proper in the same barangay also had trouble with their water supply, claiming that discolored water has been flowing from their faucets for seven months now.