Cholera hurting Catmon's private water enterprise

CEBU, Philippines - The reported cholera cases in Catmon town has caused much damage to the private water business as it appeared that the water system in general was to be blamed as the source of contamination.

Catmon Water and Sanitation Service Cooperative (Cawassco) general manager Romeo Arrabis told The FREEMAN that it is unfair that reports did not specify the water source when in fact the one being tested for bacteria is the water system run by the local government unit.

“The alleged outbreak was not within our service area. It is under the jurisdiction of the municipality’s waterworks particularly in Barangay Macaas,” Arrabis said.

Arrabis said that Dante Colonia, the manager of Water Market Refilling Station based in Barangay Panalipdan, reported to him that costumers from neighboring areas to as far as Danao City no longer buy bottled water from them for fear of infection.

Water refilling stations source their water from Cawassco.

Cawassco has been operating since 1996 covering Catmon barangays Basak, Panalipan, Binongkalan, Fuente and part of Catmondaan.

Arrabis said that their system has a computerized chlorinator running 24 hours in defense of bacteria.

The Department of Health reportedly recommended the rehabilitation of the water system in Catmon following reports of additional cholera cases but it did not specify which water system has to be rehabilitated. The laboratory tests conducted by DOH on water samples taken from the town showed the presence of E. Coli bacteria. Tests on rectal swabs taken from the patients also showed the presence of vibrio cholera, which is a waterborne bacterium that causes severe diarrhea.

The DOH also recommended the installation of chlorinators at the water sources.

The number of diarrhea cases in Catmon since Dec. 27 is now 26.  (FREEMAN NEWS)