For years, residents in Los Baños and Bay, Laguna who are “serviced” by the Laguna Water Aquatech Resources Corporation (LARC) have suffered from more than just inadequate supply of water to their homes and businesses.
It turned out, as a Rappler.com article raised the alarm last July, that what they have been drinking for years was essentially poisoned water.
This, as an online article by Rappler, citing reports from the Commission on Audit (COA) dating back 2024, said over half (55 percent) of the pumps operated by LARC failed to meet the national safety threshold for arsenic, a poisonous metallic chemical.
Since the COA report was published, however, things are much more different, and their water supply safer.
Or so LARC claims in an exclusive interview with OpinYon Laguna last August 13.
During that meeting, officials of LARC – which had been taken over by the Manila Water Philippine Ventures (MWPV) last July 2024 – were quick to give assurance that arsenic levels in their water supply in Los Baños.
Removing arsenic
Among the projects LARC under MWPV has put in place to address the issue of high arsenic levels in their water supply is a pilot treatment facility in its pumping station in Barangay Batong Malake, which commenced operations last August 2024.
The new technology used by LARC uses coagulants such as iron, which bonds with the arsenic and helps eliminate it from the main water supply when it goes through filtration.
“Naging successful siya nung pilot natin sa Umali as of October, nasundan na siya ng iba. Sinundan nayan ng Bayog, sinundan nayan ng Lopez Heights na facility, and then yung most recent na natapos natin is yung Vega tsaka L.A. Village,” Rodel del Rosario, LARC Project Management and Technical Services Department Head, explained.
Frequent monitoring
The COA report noted that 10 out of 18 pumping stations operated by LARC exceeded the 0.01 milligram per liter safe level threshold for arsenic.
However, Del Rosario said that out of the 19 water sources currently operated by LARC, only six have been reported to still have traces of arsenic.
“Pero yung anim na natitira na iyonm, ang target natin is by first quarter of next year ay matapos na natin yung mga treatment installation,” he added.
To ensure that the water treatment system remains effective, Del Rosario said they conduct regular daily testing of their water supply to ensure that all traces of arsenic are removed.
“Sa ngayon, may ginagamit si Laguna Aquatech na parang test kit kung tawagin is Palintest, para pagpunta sa facility on the spot after five minutes, makukuha na agad natin yung result. So iyan very frequent; ginagawa ng team almost every other day ginagawa,” he explained.
Bay water supply
Another crucial issue discussed during the interview was the persistent low water supply in the nearby town of Bay.
With only one major water source for residents of Bay (at Jubilee Ville), LARC customers had suffered from low water pressure due to insufficient water supply and inadequate pipe network.
“Medyo prevalent pa rin yung problema namin. Low pressure pa rin kami sa Bay, pero hindi po ibig sabihin na walang tubig,” Del Rosario acknowledged.
Two new water sources, one in Barangay Santo Domingo and another in their Bay headquarters, are now slated for completion and are expected to provide water to residents of Bay soon.
“Once na matapos, may plan si LARC na mag inaugurate, para maipakita natin na together with the LGU, nag wowork together kami to improve yung services sa Bae,” Del Rosario added.
Since most of these water resources are essentially drawn from groundwater, OpinYon Laguna asked LARC if they have plans to introduce alternative water resources such as rainwater harvesting.
“For now, hindi pa namin siya nakikita ngayon dito. Pero in a way malaki ang recharge area ng Los Baños, Bay at Calauan. Marami pang open spaces, well-vegetated, so that means kapag umulan, that means nare-recharge ng rainwater yung groundwater supply natin. Malaking bagay yun na para mag-serve as sustainable groundwater, if yung mga recharge area natin mananatiling open spaces,” Del Rosario pointed out.
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