The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on third and final reading a proposed ordinance mandating private and government water testing laboratories or facilities operating in the city and in other areas outside the city but catering to the city’s drinking water-refilling stations to submit to the City Health Services Office (CHSO) within twenty four hours from issuance of the certified bacteriological and physio-chemical water tests with positive or unsatisfactory results for its information and appropriate action.
Under the proposed ordinance authored by Councilor Betty Lourdes F. Tabanda, the health of the people in the city is the paramount priority, thus, this ordinance is being proposed for possible adoption to ensure the potability and safety of drinking water and water from other sources in the city conform with the standards set forth by the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW).
The council noted that the PNSDW applies to all drinking water service providers, including government and private developers and operators, bulk water suppliers, water refilling station operators and water vending machine operators, ice manufacturers, all food establishments, residential, commercial and industrial and institutional buildings that use, support or serve drinking water; water testing laboratories; health and sanitation authorities, the general public and all others who are involved in determining the safety of the public’s drinking water.
It shall be the responsibility of the operators or water service providers in the city to submit to the laboratory or testing facility accredited by the health department the water samples for the required bacteriological and such other required laboratory water analysis tests at prescribed intervals in accordance with Ordinance No. 41, series of 2007. Should any or all of the tests yield positive results, the operator or water service provider must immediately cease operation in coordination with the CHSO.
Further, all operators, service providers of al water testing facilities or laboratories operating in the city and in other areas outside the city but catering to the establishments in the city are directed to submit to the General Services Office within 24 hours from the release of the certified physio-chemical and bacteriological water analysis tests with positive or unsatisfactory results for its information and appropriate action.
On the other hand, the CHSO shall upon receipt of the certified positive or unsatisfactory results of bacteriological, physico-chemical analysis or tests shall order the immediate closure and cessation of operation of the concerned water station or facility.
Moreover, it shall institute corrective measures pursuant to DOH Administrative Order 2017-0010. The order shall be lifted only after a certified water analysis result is issued by any accredited Water testing laboratory or facility attesting that the water is already within the PNSDW standards.
The Permits and Licensing Division in coordination with the CHSO shall implement the closure order of the facility or establishment and monitor compliance of the concerned operator or service provider with the order issued by the CHSO.
All water testing facilities or laboratories which fail to submit within 24 hours from issuance the required certified positive water analysis test results to the CHSO shall be penalized with a fine of PhP2,000 and temporary closure of establishment for the first offense, a fine of PhP3,000 and imprisonment of 20 days for the second offense and a fine of PhP5,000 and permanent closure of the establishment.by Dexter A. See
