BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – Consumers of South Balibago Resources, Inc. (SBRI) will likely taste their water supply “salty” in the coming days.
SBRI announced yesterday it may temporarily shut down its water treatment plant in Barangay Bongco in Pototan, Iloilo “due to a water quality issue.”
In a statement, the SBRI said raw water entering their water treatment facility “has elevated levels of total dissolved solids (TDS).”
TDS is the term used to describe inorganic salts and small amounts of organic matter present in solution in water, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
TDS in water can include a variety of substances including salts, minerals, organic matter, and other dissolved solids.
TDS levels can affect the taste of water, and high TDS levels may indicate the presence of contaminants that could potentially be harmful to health.
At 2 p.m. yesterday, SBRI said they recorded TDS at 1060 parts per million (ppm) although “continuously decreasing.”
The accepted level of TDS is less than 600 parts per million, according to the Philippine National Standard for Drinking Water (PNSDW).
“This phenomenon can be attributed to the ongoing El Niño (phenomenon), where the average rainfall is lower and seawater intrudes into river water,” the SBRI said.
Rodelyn Ngipen, SBRI Jaro branch manager, said the TDS levels already decreased to only 487 parts per million (ppm) as of 5:45 p.m. yesterday.
Ngipen stressed they may not shut down their treatment plant if the TDS levels do not go above 2000 parts per million of TDS levels. She added the water supplies under their franchise areas remain in normal pressure.
The water distributor also asked its consumers to “refrain from using our water for drinking or cooking until further notice” due to high TDS levels in the raw water.
While the water treatment process in their treatment plant removes many water contaminants, the SBRI said the elevated TDS levels may still affect the water quality.
“It must be noted that prolonged use of water with elevated TDS levels for domestic uses may cause buildup of scales and corrosion in the pipelines,” the water utility firm said.
“Consumers may also notice that cleaning agents such as soap and detergents may have difficulty foaming,” it added.
SBRI said it will temporarily shut down its treatment plant to ensure the safety and well-being of its consumers.
“We are actively monitoring the situation and taking steps to address the issue promptly,” the water firm said.
SBRI also urged its consumers to use alternative water sources for drinking and cooking such as bottled water or water from reliable sources and certified water refilling stations.
The water treatment plant in Barangay Bongco produces 10,000 cubic meters per day distributed to several subdivisions and three barangays of the Jaro district. The plant serves more than 12,000 households and establishments./PN
