CEBU CITY, Philippines — The city continues to struggle with water supply a week since super typhoon Odette devastated parts of the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
The lack of drinking water here has caused long lines at water refilling stations all over the city.
With this, the Cebu City Health Department is now worried on the rise of waterborne diseases.
Diarrhea, amoebiasis, and other infections could inflict humans if the water consumed is not purified.
So far, there have been no reports yet of waterborne disease outbreaks in any barangay in the city.
But the city isn’t taking any chances.
Doctor Jeffrey Ibones, the head of the CHD, said they are now in the process of distributing chlorine packs to households so that families can purify water.
Here are the steps on purifying water through chlorine:
1. Dilute one teaspoon of chlorine powder (70% granules) with one liter of water. This chlorine solution will last one week and then must be discarded after.
2. One teaspoon of chlorine solution is enough to purify 20 liters of water. Mix and wait a few minutes.
3. The water is now potable.
4. After a week, discard the solution and make a fresh batch
Ibones said that the city government is exhausting all efforts to bring both electricity and water back to households.
While waiting, residents are urged to keep themselves healthy through eating clean food and drinking purified water.
He also encouraged the public to clean their surroundings to avoid dengue as dengue-carrying mosquito may be breeding in stagnant water.
“Manglimpyo lang gyod ta sa atong tugkaran. Magpahigayon pud tag misting sa mga barangays, ato palang giplanohan,” said Ibones.
/bmjo
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