| "The Water is Potable" - Med Clinic |
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| White and Blue News - Campus News | |
| Written by Marcel Lawrence Emil Agpasa | |
| Thursday, 13 December 2007 | |
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Issues have been raised by students and the Medical Clinic regarding the “Unsafe Water in Drinking Fountains” article on the October 2007 issue of White & Blue. The story claims that the drinking fountains are at risk of housing a harmful bacterium called Escherichia coli. Some students have become hesitant in drinking from the fountains since the release of the publication. The Medical Clinic however took their stand in clarifying the issue, as they are in charge of monitoring the drinking fountains. Dr. Ermelinda Guinaran, resident physician and Medical Clinic Head, stated in an interview that the students need not worry about drinking water from the fountains since it is sanitary and safe for human consumption. She added that the water from every fountain in the whole university as well as those at the dormitories is being tested and kept clean every month to avoid harboring microorganisms deemed harmful to health. Customarily every first week of the month, the clinical laboratory, headed by Mrs. Jannette Awisan, collects water specimen from 22 different water sources all over the university including the fountains, deep wells and water jugs via the aseptic technique. The water samples are examined by Med Tech students as part of their requirement as interns. A series of tests is then conducted to check for the presence of pathogenic (disease-causing) impurities. This includes the Presumptive test for detecting gas formation indicative of lactose-fermenting bacteria. The samples which form bubbles are examined for a Confirmatory test and a Brilliant Green Bile Broth (BGB) test. Then it undergoes the Completed Test which is performed to identify the organisms. Results of the water analysis as a whole are then submitted to the Medical Clinic to initiate appropriate measures. The duration of the water testing lasts for about four to eight days. The SSD is tasked to ensure and maintain the sanitation of each drinking fountain. SSD Director Francisco Castillo stressed that the fountains are being cleaned on a daily basis. The three filters inside the dispensers are also thoroughly washed every month or even changed when necessary as ordered by the Medical Clinic. Castillo allegedly pointed out that the students and even employees and security guards do not use the drinking fountains properly. In effect, some parts like the pedals malfunction and become unclean despite their daily routine of cleaning the fountains. The same procedure on water analysis employed by the clinic lab was conducted by Engr. Josephine Aries Dulay, Chemical Engineering Department Head. She also elucidated that their samples were taken from three drinking fountains, namely at the Gonzaga building, SLU-Laboratory Elementary School, and at Adenauer-Rizal. This is contrary to the statement on the “Unsafe Water…” article stating that there were 5 different water samples taken from different fountains within campus. She further explained that each water sample was distributed into five tubes for the Presumptive test (a total of fifteen tubes). The Gonzaga and Adenauer-Rizal samples yielded negative results. However, three tubes from the five tube samples taken from SLU-LES formed bubbles. These tubes were further examined for the succeeding analyses. In the tests, the samples were proven to be negative for E. coli but positive for the BGB test. These outcomes denote that neither E. coli nor fecal coliforms were present in the samples, but only total coliforms were detected. Such coliforms are common in soil and plant samples. Engr. Dulay performed the investigation upon request of White and Blue to confirm a previous statement from a notable source who allegedly informed the publication about E. coli being present on the water samples. Mrs. Awisan of the clinic lab later questioned the authenticity of the said information. Clinical records reveal that the last water test which bore positive result was on October 8, 2007 where they detected an organism known as Citrobacter freundii. Dr. Guinaran and Mrs. Awisan however clarified that such bacterium is non-pathogenic or may only cause infirmity on a person with compromised health. It was only on May 2007 that E. coli had been found at the Adenauer-Rizal drinking fountain. Guinaran immediately ordered the SSD to close the said fountain and clean its filters. She supposed that a leak in its pipeline or the improper handling of its accessories might have caused the contamination. The “Not Safe for Drinking” label was only lifted after succeeding tests presented a negative finding for any microorganism. Water samples had last been collected on November 19, 2007. The safety of the water in drinking fountains at present relies upon the latest test results of the water analysis released on mid-November. As expected, the findings yielded negative results for E. coli or any microbe. Mrs. Awisan plans to conduct another water test on the first week of December to assure the water’s potability and safeguard the students’ health especially throughout this rainy season. Cleaning of the fountains is also enforced. Overall, the Medical Clinic, the SSD and the Clinical Laboratory advocate the proper usage of the drinking fountains to avoid soiling them. For sanitary purposes, the authorities reiterated that users should not wash their hands nor spit on the drinking fountains. Finally they stated that maintaining the cleanliness of the fountains is a general concern which students and employees must get involved with.
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