MCWD’s laboratory gets excellent rating from DOH

CEBU, Philippines - A laboratory of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District in Talamban, Cebu City has been granted an excellent rating by the Department of Health.

MCWD general manager Ernie Delco said the DOH Central Office gave an excellent rating to the MCWD laboratory in the 2014 proficiency testing scheme.

“The certificate given by DOH Manila was presented to MCWD particularly with our laboratory in Nasipit, Talamban for successfully participating and for passing and achieving an excellent performance in the calendar year 2014 after conducting a proficiency test,” he said.

This is the second year in a row that the water district’s laboratory was given an excellent rating by the DOH.

A water testing laboratory has to pass a test to be conducted by the National Reference Laboratory for it to be accredited by the DOH.

“Kini siya nga test, mokuha sila og sample og ipa-test nila sa MCWD (laboratory). Unya nakita nila nga sakto diay ang procedure, ang resulta ug accurate atong laboratory. Nagpakita lang ni nga usa ka testamento nga wala diay ta nagpabaya sa atong water quality,” Delco said.

The water district was given the certificate of proficiency from DOH Manila on Jan. 28, 2015.

“We are not only serving the Cebuanos adequate water, but we are also very concerned with water quality,” said Delco.

MCWD’s water testing laboratory was among the 13 laboratories in Central Visayas accredited by the DOH.

Delco also recognized that some people are not drinking directly from tap water, preferring to buy the expensive bottled water or mineral water.

With this, he said that in the past weeks the management has been discussing issues with the media on how safe is the MCWD water.

He said that tap water also contains minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, and zinc, among others.

“It was an eye opener, pagkahibaw nila nga ingon ana diay, na-shift ilang mind set into believing that tap water is not only safe but also has the presence of minerals which are very useful for our body to function very well,” he said.

Delco said that one of those individuals who support tap water is Vice Mayor Edgar Labella.

“He (Labella) openly said that ever since tap water jud siya because he understood the beauty and wonders of drinking from the tap,” he said.

 Delco noted the importance of safe water, recalling the recent Danao City incident in which over 150 employees of a manufacturing firm were affected by diarrhea.

“We always pray and we do our best to prevent that thing to happen in Metro Cebu. Usa pud sa among motto diri is mas maayo pa nga walay tubig kontra sa hugaw nga tubig,” he said with humor.

“Usa ra ni siya ka important nga paamagi that we have a laboratory that is very reliable, accredited by DOH and considering our equipment is modern,” Delco added.

The laboratory, located at D’ Family Park in Talamban, Cebu City, is a state-of-the-art facility capable of performing bacteriological, physical and chemical analysis, including detection of heavy metals in water.

It conducts regular water quality monitoring of water from strategic sampling points in MCWD’s distribution network to ensure a safe and potable drinking water supply for consumers. MCWD’s sampling points are far more than what is required under the government.

MCWD earlier assured its consumers that there is enough supply of water for Metro Cebu during summer. — (FREEMAN)