BAGUIO CITY – – There is still hope in improving the water quality of the river systems in the city with the decreasing trend of mixed wastes collected yearly from the river catchments and the improvement of water quality sampled, according to the City Environment and Parks Management Office- Waste Water and Ambient Management Division (CEPMO-WWAMD).
CEPPMO-WWAMD Chief Engr. Moises Lozano said the decreasing trend of collection of wastes are attributed to the unified efforts of the community and the barangay officials including adopters from the private and government sector in the clean-up drives, information education advocacy campaigns and activities and the monitoring of illegal waste disposal and overflow of septic tanks.
Generated mixed solid garbage collected from the four catchment rivers of Balili, Bued, Galiano and Balanga including their tributaries for a four-year period were 1,972 tons in 2012, 1,593 in 2013, 1,122 in 2014 and 1,091 tons in 2015.
For instance, the biological oxygen demand (BOD) which is one of the parameters to measure the degradation of water quality of the river system during the wet and dry season showed varying results, Lozano explained.
BOD concentration is higher during the dry season which is an indication that the water quality has degraded but exhibit a lower BOD during wet season as pollutants are washed out, he added.
He pointed out that there would be difficulty in rehabilitating the river system if there was no significant change for instance in the BOD.
The decreasing trend of trash collected and the sampling results recorded indicates hope for cleaner and rehabilitated river systems. But there should be discipline among the populace to stop the indiscriminate throwing of garbage so that waste will be greatly reduced and ultimately be eliminated, he stressed.
He further encouraged barangay officials to sustain and strengthen the collaborative efforts in rehabilitating the river systems. There is still hope in revitalizing the rivers with all stakeholders cooperating and working together. (JDP/SCA-PIA-CAR, Benguet)
