THE Department of Health (DOH) assured the public that water coming from service lines at homes and in public establishments has been tested negative of the E. coli bacteria.
“There is really no need for concern as water coming from the two concessionaires—Maynilad Water Services Inc. [MWSI] and Manila Water Co. Inc. [MWCI] have undergone strict examination and considered safe to drink,” Director Dr. Eduardo Janairo of the DOH-National Capital Region said on Tuesday.
Based on a report from the Metro Manila Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee, water samples taken from 1,228 water sampling points all over the region have been tested negative of the E. coli bacteria and certified to be of “sanitary quality.”
Sanitary quality, according to the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water, requires that total coliform must not be detectable in any 100 milliliters sample.
In case of large quantities where sufficient samples are examined, it must not be present in 95 percent of samples taken throughout a 12-month period from regular sampling points.
Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli is a bacterium that is commonly found in the stomach of warm-blooded organisms. It comes from human and animal waste. It can cause food poisoning and can become life-threatening and can also cause serious infection if not treated immediately.
“If the water coming out of your faucet is tested positive of the bacteria, you must immediately check your pipe connections at home. You may never know when wastewaters are seeping through your service lines.”
If it is near a septic tank or submerged in filthy water or in a canal, you should immediately transfer it to a safer place away from harm’s way,” Janairo adviced the public.
He said E-coli could also be acquired by eating contaminated food, such as unpasteurized milk or fresh vegetables.
“Infected people who work in restaurants and public establishments who do not wash their hands properly after using the toilet can spread the infection to customers. You can also get it by having physical contact with an infected person, known as person-to-person contact,” Janairo warned.
A person infected with E-coli suffers from abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, nausea and vomiting. The symptoms may last within three to four days after being exposed to the bacteria. However, in some cases they may appear within a day or a week later.
“Let us practice good personal hygiene. Wash our hands regularly and properly. It is very important in stemming the spread of any infection,” Janairo said.
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