USC eyes Tejero Creek for rehab

IMPROVING WATER QUALITY CEBU’S RIVER CREEK/SEPT. 7, 2016: Engr. Ricardo Fornis, Assitant Dean, University of San Carlos- School of Engineering discusses the problem of the waterways of the creeks and river’s in Cebu City which needs to be rehabilitate as he speaks during the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Eduardo Aboitiz Development and Study Center Understanding Choices forum, Improving the Surface Water Quality of Cebu’s Rivers and Creeks (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA).

The Tejero Creek in Cebu City had been identified as a pilot area by the University of San Carlos (USC) for its Metro Cebu Rivers and Creeks Rehabilitation Program.

USC is partnering with the US-based DOW Chemical Co. and Barangay Tinago officials for the rehabilitation project of Estero de Parian or Tejero Creek.

Assistant dean of USC’s School of Engineering Ricardo Fornis said they started gathering samples from three sites in the Estero de Parian for water characterization.

“Through water characterization, we can determine what exactly are the pollutants in the river as well as the level of pollution there by translating it to numbers and using different parameters. After which, that’s the time we will find the technology appropriate to clean these pollutants,” Fornis said.

He said the project started earlier this year when barangay officials of Tinago led by then Barangay Tinago chairman and now City Councilor Joel Garganera and the Movement for a Livable Cebu (MLC) requested USC to study the water in Tejero Creek.

The university then partnered with DOW Chemical Co., through their corporate social responsibility program, to implement a river rehabilitation program and chose Tejero Creek as their pilot area.
Fornis said DOW will provide technical expertise in solving the creek’s pollution problem once USC finishes its studies on it.

He said their recommendations will be forwarded to the Cebu City government for action.

In yesterday’s Water Forum hosted by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi), representatives of DOW presented a couple of case studies of waterway rehabilitation in the US.

They include Hot Springs Creek in Arkansas in which they built a new channel that raised pH levels and improved water quality after it was polluted by seepage from an old mining company that used to operate there.

Fornis said once the pilot area in Estero de Parian had been rehabilitated, they hope to replicate it in other major waterways in Metro Cebu.

Garganera told reporters that the city will also do its share by cleaning the Estero de Parian to prevent flooding in the downtown area.

“The Estero Parian is just a small estero, it’s the smallest in the city. If we can show that we can clean that, we can make a difference and show that we can restore waterways,” he said.