The local offices of the City Agriculture and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said it would like to conduct additional water sampling on a weekly basis at one of the river deltas here to determine if the high concentration of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was deposited in the area after a series of heavy rains the past days.

 

Leonardo Avila III, City Agriculture officer said the high concentration is not conclusive yet since it would still be premature to issue restriction on swimming in the coastal waters along Matina Aplaya where E. coli was detected.

 

BFAR would determine the viability of the water for swimming, he said.

 

The E. coli was found during the bathymetric test conducted as preliminary examination of the coastal area already delineated for a mariculture park off the Talomo Bay area south of downtown. The park would consist of 90 hectares. The bathymetric test was conducted to determine several things, including the location of a mooring area.

 

Aside from finding the ideal mooring area, the bathymetric test would also determine the depth and water current, including the quality of the water.  

 

The City Agriculture Office, City Planning and Development Office and the BFAR requested the Department of Science and Technology to conduct the tests.

 

Avila said he has already asked the City Council to allow five more water-quality samplings around the area in Matina Aplaya, where two rivers south of downtown drain their waters. The coastal water off the Punta Dumalag forms part of the edge of the 90-hectare mariculture park off the Talomo Bay area.

 

The Atlanta, Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the E. coli bacteria "are a large and diverse group of bacteria [and] although most strains are harmless, others can make you sick."