With the issuance of Administrative Order (AO) No. 2007-0012 by the Department of Health (DOH), the updated water quality standards for drinking water referred to as the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water 2007 (PNSDW 2007), and the Memorandum Circular No. 002-08 by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), all water laboratories are advised to upgrade water analysis facilities to include the following requirements:

1. Procedural changes is to be implied for a stricter standard limit of

2. Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) is now part of the parameters to be assessed in the evaluation of the bacteriological quality of drinking water supply. HPC will supplement the existing Total and Fecal Coliform Tests. The HPC should not exceed 500 CFU/mL.

3. From the Annex 1 of the PNSDW 2007 as based on health significance and acceptability, the following priority drinking water quality parameters for physical and chemical test shall be tested:

a. Color

b. pH

c. Nitrate

d. Total Dissolved Solids

e. Iron

f. Arsenic

g. Lead

h. Turbidity

i. Chloride

j. Sulfate

k. Manganese

l. Cadmium

In this regard, the ACWD laboratory will be implementing new rates of the quality parameters included in the abovementioned methods of analysis in terms of microbiological and physical-chemical criteria.

For questions and further inquiries please call (045)425-0013 or 0922-323-4200.