By Mae Singuay
The Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) encourages residents to buy from compliant water refilling stations only.
CHO’s Environment Sanitation Division chief Grace Tan said there were still quite a few water refilling stations in the city which operate without business permits.
She added that the public should check if the establishment has business permits and other licenses, which will assure them of clean and safe drinking water.
Among the requirements for securing business permits is CHO clearance.
Earlier, the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) and the CHO conducted inspection of business permits in several establishments in the city.
BPLO records revealed that 250 water refilling stations secured their permits last year.
Meanwhile, the city government held a meeting yesterday with the Association of Water Refilling Stations in Bacolod to address water quality issues, based on the Executive Order (EO) No. 59, and to formalize the association to be part of the Local Water Supply and Quality Monitoring Council (LWSQMC).
EO 59 stated that “there is a need to convene the council in order to formulate local policies concerning the implementation of water supply and quality monitoring programs.”
The LWSQMC shall also develop and implement a plan which includes the parameters, sample frequency and action plans for corrective and preventive actions consistent with the 2007 Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water.
The EO was based on City Ordinance 08-14-668 series of 2014, creating the Bacolod City Water Supply and Quality Monitoring Council which will monitor, analyze and regulate water sources so that it will be safe for human consumption./MS, WDJ