DENR notes progress on the rehabilitation project for Manila Bay.
Significant improvements in the water quality of Manila were noted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Environmental Management Bureau, which it attributed to the continuing rehabilitation efforts in river systems and tributaries.
The fecal coliform level at the Manila Bay beach nourishment station near to the US Embassy has dropped to 2,400 per 100 milliliters (MPN/100mL), from 7,100 MPN/100mL in 2021, according to the June statistics of EMB-NCR.
Two water quality monitoring stations near the dolomite beach also registered lower fecal coliform levels – from 7,300 MPN/100mL to 1,700 MPN/100mL, and from 10,200 MPN/100mL to 2,100 MPN/100mL, respectively.
In a press release on Saturday, Michael Drake Matias, regional director of EMB-NCR, stated: “We have seen remarkable gains in Manila Bay based on the water quality monitoring results. Rest assured that we will not stop here and will continue our work as part of the Manila Bay rehabilitation project,”
Though the measurements indicate that Manila Bay's water quality is still far from reaching the fecal coliform requirement of 100 MPN/100mL, Matias stated the objective is difficult to achieve but doable with the help of the people and local, national, and international governments.
“Reaching the 100 MPN/100mL standard is not impossible through our solid waste management strategies, geoengineering interventions, and with the establishment of our real-time online water quality monitoring system,” Matias said.
The EMB-NCR checks 412 monitoring sampling stations scattered in various water bodies of Metro Manila.
Twenty-three stations, which include stations near the dolomite beach, Rizal Park Hotel, and US Embassy, are being monitored three times a week.
It performs quarterly monitoring of 206 sites, including the Navotas River Shipyard and Manila Bay shoreline, along with the EMB 3 (Central Luzon) and EMB 4-A (Calabarzon), and semi-annual monitoring of 32 stations.
An online water quality monitoring system has been created and set up by the EMB-NCR for simple public access.
According to Matias, the data system would inform and educate the public on the state and trends of the water quality in Metro Manila's creeks and waterbodies.
It will also serve as the foundation for developing policies, programs, and laws to reduce water pollution in the various local government entities' spheres of responsibility.
Tags: # DENR, #ManilaBay, #dolomitebeach, #environment