MikeLigalig.com

By Joe Espiritu
Columnist
Bohol Sunday Post

While the province is planning a Bohol Integrated Water Supply System, Jagna has yet to develop her own water system so as provide some downtown barangays with potable water. Whatever supply the local waterworks have is barely enough for the market area and the few barangays immediately around the market site.

Farther, most barangays rely upon deep and shallow wells for their washing and personal hygiene and bottled water for drinking. Except for Pangdan, which has drinking water, which taste approximates that of the processed water available on sale, waters of most barangays are abundant in dissolved solids.

When a Boholano patient lands in a Community Hospital in Cebu City because of kidney ailment, the doctors there immediately conclude that the fellow comes from Jagna. This only goes to show that the water drank is hard water. Salty water is all right if the dissolved solid is sodium chloride, which the body can safely use.

Extra NaCl are passed out through the kidneys. However, if the dissolved solids are sodium or potassium carbonates, the drinker is in for trouble.

As we had written in our previous columns, a high ridge running from Laca to Lonoy prevents the waters of the Mayana, Odiong and Boctol watershed to flow down to downtown Jagna. Those waters feed the Alejawan river to the east and Manaba river to the west. Whatever waters are seeping to the lower barangays of Jagna must pass through limestone layers, carrying with it dissolved carbonates, sulfates and chlorides.

When those waters are boiled, crusts cover the insides of the kettles, pots or whatever utensils used for boiling. Chamber pots or arinolas constantly used would be encrusted with the same scab. And those crust have the same chemical composition as the stalactite and stalagmite of an underground cave. If those will build up in your kidney, you will be in trouble.

On the other hand, the waters of Tubod Ubos in Lonoy has less dissolved solids than those distributed by the Cebu Metropolitan Waterworks System. An analysis of a sample of the Tubod Ubos water brought to the Water Resource Center, San Carlos University, Talamban, showed that it could be safe for drinking even for those with weak kidneys. That is if those waters are kept free of biological contaminants.

The main problem in bringing the abundant Mayana - Odiong waters downtown is how to pass the Laca to Lonoy ridge. This mountain chain - let us call them mountain despite their low elevation - is not solid. To bore through them is not financially practical at this time. To lead the Tubod Ubos waters downtown, the flow may be routed through the depressions leading to Alejawan. SB Kagawad Engr. Jesus Acedillo was shown a topo map from the Water Resource Center sometime ago. There might also be seepages feeding springs in the seaward slopes that may be developed. The Tinakbasan, Kinagbaan spring would be an example.

There could be others.

The water in some downtown pumping station may be biologically safe for drinking if one has strong kidneys. There may be some who will say that some downtown folks had grown old without experiencing kidney trouble although their drinking water came from shallow wells. The reason is that the waters in the shallow wells came from aquifers, which were fed by local seepages. Those waters did not pass limestone layers. However, those wells had either dried up or gone salty because of the encroachment of seawater. This is the cause of relentless clearing of vegetation.

Modernization of Jagna water system is necessary because the municipality if fast growing. However, there may be other priorities but this will have to be addressed if Jagna is to sustain her growth.

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