Ormoc City to have wastewater testing lab

ORMOC CITY, Sept. 1 -- This city will soon have its own laboratory that will be used to test wastewater quality.

And once fully operational, the facility can become an income earner for the city, servicing private establishments in other areas in the region.

Fe Comorposa, head of the city’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), said a laboratory will be set up at the second floor of the Ormoc City Hospital, situated in San Pablo village. The future laboratory will be an extension of the local environment office.

Comorposa, in an interview on Thursday, said the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) agreed to provide financial support for the project as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

The official estimated a PHP2 million outlay for the acquisition of various equipment, but she said that EDC will source out funds through the Energy Regulations No. 1-94 for the final quotation from the supplier.

A room will be devoted for bacteriological testing, and the other one will be for physico-chemical analysis of waste water.

“The facility will conduct analysis of waste water initially, but in due time, potable water will be included,” she emphasized.

There are 13 water sampling stations in Ormoc Bay, which expands up to its neighboring Albuera and Merida towns, 10 of which are in Ormoc City.

Currently, the city sends water samples to Cebu for some analysis not available in local sampling stations, spending some PHP10,500 every month.

Comorposa believes that putting up its own water quality laboratory will significantly reduce the city’s expenditure for water quality testing.

Moreover, she said that the laboratory can become a source of revenue for the city, as it can cater testing services for private establishments in other areas in the region, once it is fully operational.

With this, she added that they will request technical assistance from DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau to conduct further training to augment their capability of manning the facility.

No particular date has been set yet for the turnover of the building, but city planning coordinator Engr. Raoul Cam said that repair work for the city hospital is nearly completed by the contractors.

The Ormoc Bay and its associated watershed were officially designated as water quality management area through DENR Administrative Order No. 21, series of 2013 aimed at working and protecting the water quality of water bodies to sustain safe resources for the people. (Joseph B. Pilapil/PNA)