University of Nueva Caceres

City of Naga

Case Study of the Ecological

State of Bicol River Basin at

Camaligan/Abella Area In

Relation to Environmental

Problems of Naga River

Submitted By: Dave Lorenz G. Delos Santos

Introduction

“In the early 1970s, the National Sanitation Foundation, in

cooperation with over 100 water quality experts, devised a

standard index for measuring water quality. This index, known as

the Water Quality Index, or WQI, consists of nine tests to

determine water quality. These nine tests are: temperature, pH,

turbidity, total solids, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen

demand, phosphates, nitrate, and fecal coliform.”

The progression of our lives became the most trends of the

current times. But the byproduct of what we are doing is

pollution. And each and every year, the growth of human

population became exponential, and the result the pollution still

escalates. And the second major pollution is water pollution. And

the efforts are not yet sufficient to at least lessen the effects

of water pollution. And on of the saddest part of it are the

facts that estimated 90% and up of the world’s total

photosynthesis are came from the bodies of water. Lots of marine

wildlife is diminishing, others becoming vulnerable, or even

extinct.

So to formally start my research, I would like to introduce this

qualitative observation on how Naga River directly affects the

ecosystem of Bicol River.

The Bicol River is probably one of the biggest water system in

the Bicol region. It stretches from Bula, to its end point

located at Cabusao, Camarines Sur (see fig. 1.1 – 1.2). And it is

the main water system of the Bicol region. At the present times,

the classification of Bicol River probably is now at class c (see

printed informatio9ns at the end of this research). So to the

case of Bicol River, it is directly affected by its directly

connected water system - Naga River. So as I observed for the

past few months, I’ve been quite noticed that the inhabitants

near the river bank doesn’t really affect the quality of water

even if they’re simultaneously throwing or putting their waste at

the river at the same time. And I also noticed that the water

quality of Naga River is more likely affected the most by the

Naguenos who continuously throwing all types of waste in the Naga

river. And I also noticed that the water in Bicol River is more

blurry during low tides than high tides.

Statement of the problem:

As the formulation of this research, it comes to its limits after

the problems has arises. These are probably the questions running

through this research that needs to be discovered at the end of

the research. It may be different to other researches that have

been conducted for the past 2 years since the collected data of

the same research has the different location than of mine. So the

problems are the following:

1. What is the leading factor that leads this pollution

causation? And what about the other factors?

2. Is there any related causes Bicol river to become more

pollution?

3. Is Naga city are one of the leading cause water pollution in

Bicol River?
Methodology:

At this section, I’ll introduce to you the methodology I’ve used

to make the succession of this research happen.

At the start of the making of research, observation was used for

hypothesizing the facts of the following:

-The difference of tides determine the peak of the pollution

content of the water as I conducted the observation of two

different water samples (the sample #1 harnessed during at peak

of high tide, and the sample #2 gathered during at the lowest

point of low tide).

-As the observation begins, it was quite noticed the huge

difference of the two water samples. It varies a lot through its

smell, and also its amount of its turbidity.

And the second one is the actual laboratory water analysis

(specifically a test for its total hardness)

Related Literature and Studies

“When water passes through or over deposits such as limestone,

the levels of Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO3 – ions present in the water

can greatly increase and cause the water to be classified as hard

water. This term results from the fact that calcium and magnesium

ions in water combine with soap molecules, making it “hard” to

get suds.” (“Water Quality With Vernier”). The quoted text are

not just quite noticeable for the natural process that maybe

attributed to the total hardness of the water but also the other

man-made factors. And one of the mainly used at the present times

is the cement. ”Cement is manufactured through a closely

controlled chemical combination of calcium, silicon, aluminum,

iron and other ingredients. Common materials used to manufacture

cement include limestone, shells, and chalk or marl combined with

shale, clay, slate, blast furnace slag, silica sand, and iron

ore” (Portland Cement Association (US)). The said elements which

can contribute to the increase of total hardness in the water.

“Hardness in water is caused by dissolved magnesium and calcium

ions. These make it more difficult for the water to form a lather

with soap. Temporary hardness is caused by dissolved calcium

hydrogen carbonate (which is removed by boiling). Permanent

hardness is caused by dissolved calcium sulfate (which is not

removed by boiling)” (Soo Thomas, answered in april 19 to a

question in quora.com). So the result of this research

maybe less accurate due to the fact that total hardness is

composed of temporary and permanent hardness.

Statement of the Hypothesis:

As the experimentation is making its own starting point, there

are some hypothesis and assumptions that have been included to

this research.

The first hypothesis is that the Bicol River tends to be still on

an average, since there are only few people living alongside the

riverbank and the ratio of the total width of the Bicol River is

so large compared to the people that contribute to the water

pollution.

The second one is the amount of pollution to the water sample

gathered during low tide is different to the water sample

gathered during high tide. Take note that low tide will flow to

the direction from the first point of reference in Sabang Bridge

to the second, which is the Camaligan area, while the high tide

will flow vice versa from the said point of references.

The third one is the overpopulation of water hyacinths in the

Bicol river will correlates to the amount of water pollution in

the river, since sewage water pollution contains phosphate and

nitrate compounds, which is essential to the algal bloom, leading

to the population explosion of the water hyacinths.

The first one is that the Naga river is probably one of the

Discussion:

This is another section were we will discuss what we’ve done to

our research. We will explain everything what is the storyline

behind these multiple experiments we’ve executed for us to obtain

the results.
Result:

Initial result: from direct observation

The said observation was been conducted to give a conclusion that

high tide:

-eliminates the pollution being

ejected by Naga River

-pushes the remaining less hard

water from libmanan to camaligan area.

Final Result: From water analysis

The stated result from Metropolitan Naga Water District, the

total hardness of the water in Bicol River during low tide is

200/300.
Discussion

-Before Water Analysis: Initial water samples comparison

The first one is the direct observation of the clarity of the

water in the Bicol river, I examine this due to the fact that the

more the water is translucent or turbid, the higher the amount of

its siltation. And siltation only takes place where there’s an

abnormalities on the bodies of water. And by that, we can obtain

an accurate hypothesis or assumption that whether there’s a

pollutants to the river or not by just observing it’s clarity or

by smelling water samples.

The second one is the different water samples gathered from the

river in its level. We got one sample during low tide, and we

also got another water sample to determine if there’s a big

difference on the levels of pollution in the river at different

tides, why? Is it because I theoretically speaking that Naga

River are one of the Main Water system that is directly connected

to Main Bicol River, and since it is directly connected, I assume

that Naga River is the Main source of several types of water

pollution as the Naga River flushes out its water (and probably

bottom sediments) directly to the Bicol River during low tide.

And the remaining percentage of pollution will be trapped from

the area of Camaligan to the area of Libmanan since the flow of

the water during different tides is generally slow. And since the
observation to the Bicol River at part of the Camaligan area are

more turbid than to the later part of Libmanan area.

The abnormal occurrence of spawning of freshwater shrimps at the

side of the river on the same area (Camaligan/Abella area) was

its appearance at the shallow side of the river in big clusters.

Probably consider as an unbalance ecosystem.

-During the Water Analysis

As soon as the opportunity goes on to deploy the water analysis

at the Metropolitan Naga Water District, we bring the other water

sample, which is measured about 1 liter (take note that to obtain

the expected result the water sample during at the near lowest

low tide of the day. and the water sample should be not take more

than 3 hours before it's analysis) requirement of the MNWD. The

water analysis takes more than 2 weeks to obtain the result, said

the management.

-After Water Analysis: The Expected Result

After waiting the result for more than 2 weeks, the result has

been released. And the said result that I've obtained have a

score of 200/300 (different quota from the related studies, but I

use the different ratings of total hardness to exactly state the

real environmental condition of the Bicol river at the Camaligan

area. So my total hardness score to the Bicol River is 200/150,

and it's been quite alarming. Due to the fact that the total

hardness scores of 150 is already non-sudible to soap. But that's

not the real problem. The problem is its high content of heavy

metal elements. Thus, increasing the risk of biological

deterioration of Bicol River from Camaligan area to its later

part.
References:

https://www.quora.com/What-are-causes-of-hardness-in-water

https://www.cement.org/cement-concrete-applications/how-cement-is-made

Fig. 1.1

Fig. 1.2