Concerns rise as chlorine levels spike in Negros Occidental river

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Kabankalan City has confirmed high levels of chlorine in a section of the Ilog-Hilabangan River in Sitio Malabong, Barangay 2, Ilog town, Negros Occidental.

The confirmation made on July 5 has raised concerns about the potential impact on the livelihoods of families dependent on fishing in the town.

The Ilog-Hilabangan River serves as the catch basin for waters from the mountain ranges of Candoni town and parts of Negros Oriental, flowing through Kabankalan City and down to Ilog town.

According to Lucia Salazar, CENRO supervising ecosystem management specialist in Kabankalan City, said results of the water test conducted by the Bacolod-based Negros Prawn Producers Cooperative Analytical and Diagnostic Laboratory showed that most parameters were within normal values, except for chloride, which showed abnormal levels.

The CENRO said the results showed that the water’s potential of hydrogen (pH) level was 6.91, nitrate was 0.437 milligrams per liter (mg/L), ammonia was 0.660 mg/L, phosphate was 0.144 mg/L, total hardness was 380.38 mg/L, and chloride was 620 mg/L.

Salazar said, “The level of chloride present in the water was higher than the standard value of 250 mg/L set by the DENR for type C classification of bodies of water like the Ilog-Hilabangan River.”

Biologist and environmental advocate Pierre Gabriel San Jose said excessive chlorine levels in the water could lead to the death of fish due to respiratory problems and suffocation.

Nicanor Lopez, the village’s chairman, told Rappler on Friday that at least 40 fishing-dependent families were worried about them losing their source of income especially after two recent fish kills. The first incident was recorded on June 9, followed by another one on July 1.

Lopez said the fish kills impacted the villagers living near the riverbank, as their livelihoods depend on it.

Jovy Monteroyo, speaking on behalf of the fishermen, said they were still able to catch plenty of fish in the river before the recent fish kills.

Alarmed, Lopez said he collected water samples on June 10 and sent them to a laboratory for analysis of the river’s water quality.

Salazar said she suspected the fish kills may have been due to the heavy chlorine use in water treatment facilities and the potential use of banned chemicals in fishponds near the river.

Lopez, however, said fishponds near the river do not normally use harmful chemicals, knowing that doing so endangers aquatic life in the river.

Salazar said the CENRO would closely work with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to identify the root of the problem and address it.

Before the June 9 fish kill, many residents in Kabankalan, a city near Ilog, complained about the foul odor of the water and air from the Ilog-Hilabangan River. – Rappler.com