THE Quezon City government has opened its water testing laboratory to ensure safe drinking water, especially for its QCitizens, citing a report that acute gastroenteritis is the 32nd leading cause of death in the city.
Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Sunday that the water testing laboratory, which will be managed by the city’s Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee, is located on the second floor of the Quezon City Health Department (QCHD) building within the City Hall compound.
“This initiative reflects the city’s commitment to providing clean and safe drinking water to all residents. We are taking proactive steps to protect our communities from diseases related to poor water quality,” Belmonte said.
Belmonte said that access to clean and safe water is fundamental to public health and safety.
She cited QCHD’s 2023 report, which placed acute gastroenteritis — causing infection of the stomach and intestines due to viruses, bacteria, or parasites in contaminated water — as the 32nd leading cause of death in the city.
The city chief executive told The Manila Times that the Sangguniang Panlunsod (city council) also responded by passing an ordinance in 2024, mandating the regular monitoring and testing of water sources across the city.
According to the local government, the water laboratory will serve as a testing site in conducting regular microbiological examinations of drinking water from all 382 regular sampling sites (RSPs) in the city.
These points represent households served by the water concessionaires, Maynilad and Manila Water, it added.
The laboratory will also initially test water from all refilling stations and ice plants operating within the city’s jurisdiction, to ensure compliance with water safety and quality standards established by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water 2017.
“This initiative is part of the local government unit’s strategy to establish its own laboratories,” Belmonte said.
She added that the city government is looking to enhance its capacity to manage water safety once the water laboratory becomes fully functional.