Is your tap water safe to drink?

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

When residents of Michigan turned on their taps back in 2014, they encountered an unpleasant brown sludge that tasted like metal.

In India, tap water looks clear, but when you investigate the data, India is ranked 120th out of 122 nations for its quality of water.

In the Philippines, we feel our tap water is safe to drink because it looks clear and it tastes normal. To some extent, it is true because if water is clear it means there are no visible suspended impurities present in your water and it tastes normal because the TDS(Total dissolved solids) level in your water is within acceptable levels.

The best way to tell exactly what's in our water is to have it professionally tested, but there are a few ways to screen for contaminants using our senses.

Here are some signs that your tap water might not be safe to drink.

Check for cloudiness

Water that's safe to drink should ideally be clear with no odor or funny taste. One way to tell if water is contaminated is to look for turbidity, or cloudiness. While cloudy water isn't necessarily dangerous to your health, it could signal the presence of unsafe pathogens or chemicals.

Yellow, orange, or brown water is never a good sign.

Yellow water could signal the presence of chromium-6, the cancer-causing chemical that resulted in a lawsuit filed by clean water advocate Erin Brockovich. It might also be a sign of a buildup of iron, manganese, copper, or lead. If your water comes from a public system, check to see whether the yellow tint only appears while running cold water, which could be a sign that your utility is simply clearing out its pipes.

Water that's orange or brown could also contain excess iron, manganese, or lead, or signal the presence of rust, which can breed bacteria.

Smells like bleach

Chlorine is deliberately added to most water supply to kill germs and pathogens, but when it mixes with other organic compounds it can create a few harmful byproducts.

One of these byproducts, a group of chemicals known as trihalomethanes (THMs), has been linked to kidney problems and increased cancer risk. Another, known as haloacetic acids (HAAs), causes skin irritation and could also increase cancer risk.

Low levels of chlorine in the water system can also expose people to a parasite called giardia that causes diarrhea, cramps, and nausea.

Water that smells like bleach could be a sign of excess chlorine in your local system.

The smell of rotten eggs

Water that smells like sewage or rotten eggs could contain hydrogen sulfide, a colorless gas that can naturally occur in groundwater. When this gas is exposed to certain bacteria, it converts into sulfate, which can cause dehydration or diarrhea.

water smells fishy

Fishy-smelling water could signal an excess of barium, a naturally-occurring chemical that can seep into a water supply through drilling or manufacturing. When barium is present above the EPA's recommended levels, it could cause increased blood pressure, muscle weakness, or kidney, liver, and heart damage.

Water that smells fishy might also contain cadmium, a chemical found in lead and copper ores, which often leaches into pipes through industrial waste. Exposure to elevated levels of cadmium in drinking water can cause kidney, liver, and bone damage.

Water is the lifeline of any home especially for us Filipinos. Beyond drinking it, we use it to bathe, cook and clean things like dishes and clothes. That makes having clean, quality water all the more important. Depending on the source of the water, it can contain various degrees of harmful contaminants like chemicals, sediments and organic matter. Even treated water sources from cities and towns might not be in the best condition. This is where a home water filter system can be handy. These systems take the water that enters your home from a single source and treats it to remove these various harmful contaminants.

Author Bio:

Darvin Tocmo is the Digital Marketing Strategist for Kemique Water Soluzione. Kemique Water Soluzione is the leading water solutions company in the Philippines. We offer water treatment, sewage treatment, and commercial water system solutions.

Myths and truths in caring for Rosemary plants

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

I have killed a rosemary plant every year for the past 10 years and this is the longest time that I have not done so (8 months). Hopefully mine would continue to thrive even with the recent onset of heavy rains. 

Some myths that I have learned to be untrue:

1. Water them once a week only - I’ve been watering this rosemary everyday and they seem to be very happy. When my previous rosemaries are watered once a week, the leaves get really thin and sickly looking. It’s when they’re too dry that I’ve noticed that they get sick from infestations. 

2. Get them full sun - Mine gets only full sun early in the morning from 6-8am, then partial sun for the next 4 hours, and in complete shade the rest of the day. 

3. They prefer cooler weather - No, they don’t. They’re perfectly happy in tropical weather as long as you don’t leave them out in the rain. 

4. They don’t like the wind - They’re pretty hardy against strong winds and they’re planted in my balcony so they get a lot of beating from the wind all the time. 

Now the truths:

1. They don’t like being drenched with water - don’t drown them with water, but just enough to make the soil wet. Don’t leave them out during heavy rains, mine gets protected from rains. Make sure that the water gets drained fast too. 

2. Give them the right soil mix - I think this is the real secret for them to thrive. I found a great video that combines pebbles, coco husks, garden soil, perlite and compost. This allows the water to drain fast. As soon as you take them out from the plastic pots where you bought them, change the soil mix to the desired ratio as describe on the video below. 

3. Fertilize them - I use organic fertilizer made of kitchen scrap compost. I’ve already trimmed them twice, once to give cuttings to neighbors and another time to flavor my dish, and I make sure that they get some nutrients after trimming so that the leaves grow faster. 

Let’s see if these rosemaries will thrive some more in the next few months. Keeping my fingers crossed that these ones are for keeps. 

Here’s the video link for the soil mix:

https://youtu.be/DzC9co1Q1qk

***Reposted from a Facebook group post

Inauguration of expanded and improved Siquijor Seaport

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

More vessels and larger ships can now be accommodated by the expanded and improved Siquijor Seaport which was inaugurated on Thursday, 26 August 2021 by Department of Transportation Secretary Art Tugade.“With the improvements that we are doing at the airport and seaport, soon, Siquijor will be known as ‘Isla del Progreso.’ In other words, you will now have a massive change in connectivity at the seaport of Siquijor,” Sec. Art said.

The port expansion project covers the construction of an RC Wharf with Ro-Ro ramp and a back-up area.

Twenty-five units of solar lights were also installed in the port. This translates to lower electricity cost and will reduce the port’s carbon footprint.

With its improved facilities, the port now allows for faster vessel turnaround time and a shortened waiting period for passengers and shippers. This will eventually reduce the queueing of rolling cargo.

Siquijor Governor Zaldy Villa, in his message during the inaugural ceremony, told the Transportation Chief that the development projects in the province will truly impact the locals' way of life.

“Before the pandemic, there was a demand for us to upgrade due to the increased number of trips coming from Cebu, Bohol, and Dumaguete. This pressured us to look for additional funding sources,” he pointed out as he explained the necessity of the said infrastructure.

“Whenever we have events, the Siquijornons will chant: 'Dream Siquijor!' and now, it has already come to light. Our dream is already a reality! Taus-pusong nagpapasalamat po kaming lahat kay President Rodrigo Duterte at DOTr Secretary Art Tugade for helping us achieve this,” Gov. Villa expressed.

Prior to the upgrade, the Siquijor Seaport can only service a maximum of four (4) ferries. With the renovation works already completed, it can now serve up to eight (8) vessels with provision to handle a 65-meter cargo ship and can service two Ro-Ro vessels at the same time.

The upgraded Siquijor Port will also boost equitable and inclusive growth in the areas of employment, local trade, and investments.

When it was being upgraded, the port generated 35 jobs. Moreover, with development projects now complete, the Siquijor Port is expected to further open more job opportunities for residents of the province, particularly in the tourism sector and other tourism-related industries.

Earlier in the day, Sec. Art also inaugurated the Siquijor Airport. These two transport infrastructure projects are vital for the economic and tourism growth of the province.