Diarrhea downs 386 folk: Busted sewer poisons Baguio water supply

By Dexter A. See and Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – A diarrhea outbreak has hit this mountain resort city in five barangays here, sending 386 residents to hospitals.

Although there was no death, 14 patients with age range of two months to 81 years
were admitted in various hospitals.

The city health department recorded 386 diarrhea cases in six barangays in a span of five days, and the cause is the allegedly contaminated water flowing in the pipelines of the Baguio Water District.

Dr. Donatel Tobera, of the Baguio City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, said residents of Imelda Village, M. Roxas, Saint Joseph, Purok 4 in Brookside and East Modern Site in Aurora Hill complained of stomach aches, vomiting and loose bowel movement. Except for 14, the patients were sent home after undergoing preliminary treatment.

Investigation by the city’s Health Services Office showed that fecal coliform had leaked from the sewage system and contaminated the water supply.

City health officials said the number of the diarrhea cases could further increase as BWD failed to prevent its pipelines from contamination caused by a busted sewer line of the city government.

Records showed the affected barangays with diarrhea cases were Manuel Roxas-Teachers Camp, 145; St. Joseph Village, 78; Imelda village, 62; Brookside, 34; and Navybase, 34.

Few diarrhea cases were also reported in Barangays Holy Ghost Proper, Honeymoon-Holy Ghost, and the other barangays which get their water supply from the Claro M. Recto pumping station of the BWD at Navybase.

Dr. Florence Reyes, city health officer, said the people downed by diarrhea were individuals with ages ranging from two to 81, but only a few of them were hospitalized because they were immediately treated by concerned health units.

The residents in the affected barangays reportedly drank the suspectedly contaminated water which had foul smell. This was caused by the busted sewerage line located near the underground BWD pipelines.

BWD was reportedly forced to stop the operation of its pumping station to prevent further contamination of the treated water flowing to the thousands of households in almost one-third of the city. But it seemed the action was a little bit late as most residents had already drunk the contaminated water which caused the diarrhea.

It was reported that those downed by diarrhea started to experience severe stomach pains and vomiting, forcing them to seek treatment from the nearest health units.

This, as the city council urged the Baguio Water District to submit a complete report on the water source contamination incident involving the water source at the Navy Base pumping station along with the measures undertaken to prevent a repeat of the incident.

The body last Monday approved a resolution authored by Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda for said purpose.

Tabanda said an investigation and rapid health assessment conducted by the city health department showed that the cause of the affliction was the water supplied by the BWD through the Navy Base pumping station which subsequent analysis showed contamination with fecal coliform organism.

“While the (BWD) took action to shut down the water line and to order the public to discard the tap water which was collected, there is a need to take all necessary processes to contain any further cases of gastroenteritis not only in the barangays mentioned but all other barangays in the city,” Tabanda said.