You'd think tap water is dirtier than bottled water?

The water distribution systems in Manila are serviced by the regulated utility companies Maynilad and Manila Water.
The Metro Manila Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee(MMDWQMC) in public ads has declared that based on analysis
of water samples at various regulatory sampling points in the respective areas of said water distribution companies.

Based on the results from 541 samples from Manila Water East Zone and 823 samples from West Zone (Maynilad), the following
results show the state of drinking tap water

• 100 % free from disease causing coliforms
  
• 100 % compliance with physical and chemical standards based on examination
  

Both water utility firms surpassed the minimum sampling frequency requirement of the 2007 PNSDW (Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water?) for both microbiological and physico-chemical quality. In comparison, the MMDWQCMC divulged that out of 1053 water refilling stations monitored in Metro Manila for the month of November 2012, only 1036 passed the potability standards set by PNSDW. The above information was gleaned from page 15 of yesterday's December 28 issue of Philstar newspaper.

We would like to suggest that water quality should be INDEPENDENTLY and RANDOMLY confirmed by chemical analytical laboratories of schools or specialized water analysis firms, not only from designated sampling points but from the taps of randomly selected households and commercial food establishments.

Metro Manila residents should breath a sigh of relief that they should not be addicted to buying bottle water for that unfounded "psychological" edge that it is clean and potable.

Help save the environment, tap water is more than clean enough, more than safe enough! We hope it will stay that way, for many years to come. Let us not overfill the planet with plastic bottles.

Negros Occidental Governor pushes for Coal fired power plant in Cadiz City

The governor of Negros Occidental, the Honorable Alfredo Marañon Jr. has given advise to the local officials of Cadiz City to go on with the proposed coal-fired power plant to be sited in the City.

Yet, this is the same power plant proposed in Pulupandan and Bago but which did not push through due to the organized opposition of environmentalists some of whom are residents of the area and have experience living besides a coal fired power plant of the Asian Alcohol Corporation when it was still operational.


The governor claims that power plants in Iloilo and Cebu have environmental controls explaining why people in those places have not voiced any complaint regarding health and pollution issues. He further added that oppositors to the project were talking without any facts or basis. See [Ref 3].

Yet it has been observed that the number of dolphins have decreased in the Tañon strait near the coal fired plant in Toledo, Cebu. [Ref. 2]

The governor emphasized the importance of stable power.

It is to be noted that the project for the coal fired power plant has been approved by Pres. Benigno Aquino III and Vice president Jejomar Binay.
Target date for completion is year 2014!

No one can argue against the fact that burning coal is the dirtiest, most carbon intensive of all fossil fuels one of the leading contributors to climate change.

References:

1. Sunstar, 10/31/2012: Governor bats for coal fired power plant
   
2. Sunstar, 9/2/2012; Groups oppose to build more power plants in Cebu
   
3. Inquirer.net, 10/22/2010: Probe sought on Iloilo coal fired power plant