LAWS GOVERNING

WATER ANALYSIS
LABORATORIES
And Their Implementing Rules and Regulations
 OBJECTIVES
By the end of this presentation, students will be able to learn regarding:

1. The laws regulating laboratories for drinking water analysis in the Philippines

2. The Regulatory Function of the Health Facilities Services Regulatory Bureau (HFSRB) for
laboratories for drinking water analysis

3. Classifications of laboratories for drinking water analysis

4. The Different aspects of laboratories for drinking water analysis

5. Licensing of laboratories for drinking water analysis and renewal of license

6. Supervision and management of laboratories for drinking water analysis; and

7. Investigation of violations
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
03 02 01 ACCREDITATION
07

06 05 04
Brief Background and Registration and Accreditation of
History about the topic Drinking Water Laboratories VIOLATIONS
AND PENAL
PROVISIONS
SUPERVISION, MANAGEMENT, Penalties and different
PD NO. 586 AND STAFFING grounds for
revocation or
A.O. 2006-0024 Staff qualifications of personnel suspension of COA
RA 9275

DRINKING WATER ANALYSIS LABORATORY LABORATORY REPORTS

AND ITS AND RECORDS
CLASSIFICATIONS How a laboratory reports and records
Classifications of drinking water laboratories as to
ownership, institutional character, and service are given and kept
capability
H2
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01
INTRODUCTION
Laws Governing Water Analysis Laboratories
“ WATER is the Unsung
hero in Human progress.
’’
WATER
● Considered as the “universal solvent”
● One of the most essential resources in the world, and its
preservation is a TOP PRIORITY
● Not a mere commodity for sale and consumption but a natural
asset that must be protected and conserved
● A natural resource vital for conservation of life, environmental
protection, and economic development
EARLY MESOPOTAMIA
Rome, and Egypt, civilizations thrived in the
waters of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, Tiber,
and the Nile

HENRY CAVENDISH
An English chemist and physicist who demonstrated
that WATER is composed of Oxygen and Hydrogen
Molecules in the year 1781
 VARIOUS ADVERSITIES THAT THREATEN
WATER AS A RESOURCE

ANTIQUATED LOCAL UNSTABLE ACCESS TO

CLIMATE CHANGE SEWERAGE SYSTEMS POTABLE WATER

Water scarcity are fast becoming If not defunct or non-existent,

normal occurrences due to extended
El Nino conditions resulting from
climate change
and far too neglected. Urban
informal settlers living beside
creeks use the same as their
bathrooms and trash bins
Afflicting more and more areas
overtime. Water has become an
ironically expensive resource.
The state of the Philippines’
water supply and sanitation
appear hopelessly grim
 GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO WATER-RELATED
Several legislations were passed to protect the public from potential hazards of unsafe
ISSUES
drinking water

December 23,1975 March 22, 2004 May 10,2006

A.O. No. 24, Series

P.D. No. 856 R.A. No. 9275 of 2006
“Code on Sanitation of the “Philippine Clean
Philippines” Water Act of 2004” Issued by the DOH to monitor the
was signed into law with the aim of quality services of water testing
was passed in the hopes of
maintaining and safeguarding water laboratories in the philippines.
solving the problem quality
 ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER
NO. 24, SERIES OF 2006
The Objective of this order is to

Protect public health, safety, and welfare, by

ensuring the accuracy, precision, and
reliability of results generated by drinking
water testing laboratories through
formulation and enforcement of revised
standards for accreditation

H2
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 “Arsenic contaminates groundwater in 9
Batangas localities”
REPORT BY THE PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER / JUNE 06,2022

The groundwater in a city and eight towns in Batangas province have been found positive for arsenic contamination.
As disclosed by Dr. Rhodora Reyes, Batangas Medical Center Toxicology Center chief, during the Provincial
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting on June 2

The areas with high levels of arsenic contamination were Tanauan City and the municipalities of Laurel, Balete, San
Nicolas, Mataas na Kahoy, Alitagtag, Santa Teresita, Lemery, and Taal. The level of arsenic in these areas was above
the normal level of 10 parts per billion and was first detected after the eruption of Taal Volcano on Jan. 12, 2020

Health authorities in the province have been conducting continuous monitoring of arsenic levels in the groundwater
in these localities and the provincial government has allotted P3.5 million for regular water testing. Long-term
exposure to inorganic arsenic, mainly through drinking contaminated water, eating food prepared with this water,
and eating food irrigated with arsenic-rich water, can lead to chronic arsenic poisoning
 What is the relevance of the water-
related laws that will be emphasized in
this lesson in the practice of medical
technology?
H2
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2.1
PRESIDENTIAL
DECREE 856
Laws Governing Water Analysis Laboratories
 PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 856
“Code on Sanitation of the Philippines’’

DATE THE LAW WAS PASSED: December 23, 1975

P.D. No. 856 contains the sanitary regulations including the regulation of water analysis laboratories and
examination of water supply via modern standards of sanitation.
It is the primary law that mandates the accreditation of water analysis laboratories

The code of sanitation mandates

“the examination of drinking water shall be performed only in private or government laboratories duly
accredited by the department. It is the responsibility of operators of water systems to submit to accredited
laboratories water samples for examination in a manner and at such internals prescribed by the
department”.”
H2
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2.2
ADMINISTRATIVE
ORDER NO. 2006-0024
Laws Governing Water Analysis Laboratories
In carrying out the directive of PD No. 856, the DOH released several issuances. Among these were

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO.

2006-0024, SERIES 2006
“Rules and Regulations Governing the Accreditation
of Laboratories for Drinking Water Analysis”
This is the prevailing rules and regulations governing the accreditation of laboratories for
drinking water analysis and to monitor the quality services of water testing laboratories in
the Philippines

However, Administrative Order No. 2006-0024 expressly excludes laboratories utilized

purely for academic training and/or research and other laboratories performing in-house
monitoring.
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE 856
required the Department of Health to certify laboratories that test drinking water in accordance with the National Drinking
Water Standards in order to protect public health and safety

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO.31

from the Department of Health's Bureau of Research and Laboratories set down the requirements for
the accreditation of water analysis laboratories in 1979

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 102 S. 1999

re-directs the functions and operations of the Department of Health, transferred the regulatory functions of
the Bureau of Research and Laboratories to the Bureau of Health Facilities and Services

DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 393-E S. 2000

The other technical functions of the Bureau of Research and Laboratories were distributed among the
designated National Reference Laboratories by this virtue
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9275
“The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 ”

Public health is concerned about the safety and potability of drinking water, which can be
protected by reliable and precise results produced by testing institutions according to quality
criteria specified in the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water

RA 9275 was enacted in response to the need to preserve and protect water quality, gave the
Department of Health responsibility for the proclamation, revision, and enforcement of
drinking water standards.
 DEFINITION OF
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2006-0024
TERMS
ACCREDITATION CHD
a formal authorization issued by the DOH to an individual, acronym for the Centers for Health Development, the regional
partnership, corporation or association seeking to perform drinking offices of the DOH
water analysis in compliance with the requirements as prescribed in
this Order.

APPLICANT DOH
an individual, partnership, corporation or association seeking an acronym for the Department of Health
accreditation to operate and maintain a drinking water testing
facility.
LABORATORY
BHFS
refers to the Drinking Water Analysis Laboratory. It is a facility that
acronym for the Bureau of Health Facilities and Services of the
performs either bacteriological, biological, physical, chemical and
DOH. It shall exercise the regulatory function provided in this
radiological analysis, or a combination of any of these methods, to
Order. determine the potability and safety of water.
 DEFINITION OF
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2006-0024
TERMS
NRL QUALITY POLICY
refers to the designated National Reference Laboratory for statements of intentions or desires of the organization with
Environmental and Occupational Health, Toxicology and respect to management of their quality system.
Micronutrient Assay.

PNSDW SPECIMEN
collected drinking water sample submitted for analysis to
acronym for the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water. determine its potability and safety.

QUALITY MANUAL
documents stating the quality policy and describing the quality system
and quality procedures intended for the overall planning and
administration of activities, which affect the quality of laboratory
services.
STANDARD METHOD
methods of analysis as prescribed in the PNSDW and/or the Standard
Method for the Examination of Water and Waste Water Point action of
the American Public Health Association (APHA), American Waterworks
Association (AWWA), and Water Pollution Control Federation (WPCF).
 DEFINITION OF
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2006-0024
TERMS
WATER ANALYSIS
testing procedure/s such as bacteriologic, biologic, physical,
chemical, radiological, performed on a water sample.
H2
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REPUBLIC
2.3
ACT NO. 9275
Laws Governing Water Analysis Laboratories
 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9275
“Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 ’’

DATE THE ACT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW: March 22, 2004
DATE THE LAW TOOK EFFECT: May 6, 2004

was signed by the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on March 22, 2004

pursued a policy of economic growth in a manner consistent with the protection,

preservation and revival of the quality of our fresh, blackfish and marine waters

Its implementing Rules and regulation (IRR) are contained in the department of
environment and natural resources (DENR)
Administrative Order (A.O.) No. 2005-10
H2
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DRINKING WATER ANALYSIS

03 LABORATORY AND ITS
CLASSIFICATIONS
Laws Governing Water Analysis Laboratories
 CLASSIFICATIONS OF DRINKING WATER
ANALYSIS LABORATORIES
AS TO OWNERSHIP

A. GOVERNMENT LABORATORIES B. PRIVATE LABORATORIES

Operated and maintained, partially or wholly by
Owned, established, and operated by an:
the:
National, provincial, city, or municipal Individual
government Corporation
Political unit, or Association, or
Department, board, agency Organization
 CLASSIFICATIONS OF DRINKING WATER
ANALYSIS LABORATORIES
AS TO INSTITUTIONAL CHARACTER

A. INSTITUTION-BASED B. FREESTANDING

Do not form part of any institution and

Operate within the premises and as part of an
institution, such as, but not limited to, a hospital, operate independently
medical clinic, school, medical facility for
overseas workers and seafarers, birthing home,
psychiatric facility, and drug rehab center
 CLASSIFICATIONS OF DRINKING WATER
ANALYSIS LABORATORIES
AS TO SERVICE CAPABILITY

BACTERIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS BIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS PHYSICAL ANALYSIS

LABORATORIES LABORATORIES LABORATORIES

perform standard methods carry out standard methods perform standard methods
to detect and estimate to detect and estimate to measure aesthetic
bacterial coliform biological organisms such characteristics of the water
organisms in the water as plankton in the water sample
sample sample
CLASSIFICATIONS OF DRINKING WATER
ANALYSIS LABORATORIES
AS TO SERVICE CAPABILITY

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS RADIOLOGIC ANALYSIS

LABORATORIES LABORATORIES

use standard methods to

utilize standard methods to
detect and estimate the
detect and estimate the
levels of chemical
radioactive contaminants
substances in the water
in the water sample
sample
NOTA BENE

1. The laboratory workspace shall correlate with the volume and type of analysis to be undertaken
including provisions for periods of peak workload
Freestanding laboratories shall have a minimum of 20 sqm workspace requirement

2. Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW) of 2017

Water samples for regulatory purposes - examined only in DOH-accredited laboratories
Water samples for radiological quality - examined by Philippine Nuclear Research
Institute (PNRI)
Provides the analytical methods for drinking water analysis

If the analytical method performed by a laboratory for drinking water

analysis was not enumerated in the PNSDW, prior approval of the NRL
must be secured
H2
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04
ACCREDITATION
Laws Governing Water Analysis Laboratories
ACCREDITATION
Formal authorization issued by the DOH to an individual, partnership, corporation, or
association seeking to perform drinking water analysis in compliance with the requirements
provided by the DOH

No laboratory shall operate without any valid Certificate of Accreditation

EXCEPTIONS (DO NOT REQUIRE COA)

1. Academic training and/or research laboratories
2. In-house monitoring laboratories

Registration/Initial Issuance of COA

with HFSRB (Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau)
Renewal of COA
with CHD (Center for Health Development)
NATIONAL REFERENCE LABORATORY (NRL)
Shall conduct the ff. relative to the accreditation of laboratories for drinking
water analysis
1. Proficiency testing
2. Confirmatory testing
3. Personnel training

EAST AVENUE MEDICAL CENTER (EAMC)

The NRL for drinking water analysis
National Reference Laboratory for Environmental, Occupational
Health, Toxicology and Micronutrient Assay (NRL-EOHTM)

Laboratories for drinking water analysis may be accredited for separate services depending on the service
capability EXCEPT for radiological analysis which shall be regulated by the PNRI
ACCREDITATION
VALIDITY OF COA: 2 YEARS

GUIDELINES FOR COA

1. The COA is valid for two years and expires on the last day of December stated
in the certificate. Failure to submit an application for renewal of accreditation
within 60 days of expiration date will result in lapse of accreditation and
cancellation of registration.
2. The COA granted cannot be assigned directly or indirectly to any party.
3. A separate accreditation (COA) shall be required for all laboratories or
branches maintained in separate premises but operated under the same
management.
4. The accreditation shall be placed in an area readily seen by the public.
5. A laboratory for drinking water analysis laboratory that is a
unit/section/division of a clinical laboratory is not required to secure a
separate COA. Hence, permission to perform an examination of drinking
water shall be included in the LTO of a clinical laboratory.
APPLICATION / RENEWAL FOR COA
APPLICATION : Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau (HFSRB)

RENEWAL : Center for Health Development (CHD)

1. Applicant must first submit an application to the HFSRB

In case of renewal, to the CHD, accompanied by the current proficiency test result
2. HFSRB/CHD representative shall conduct an on-site survey to determine compliance with the standards
and technical requirements within 30 days from filing of the application
3. If applicant complied with the requirements, a (1) COA will be issued and a (2) written report outlining
the laboratories shall be provided

Note: Application not processed within 60 days from filing shall be deemed granted and a COA shall be
issued
H2
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SUPERVISION,
05 MANAGEMENT,
AND STAFFING
Laws Governing Water Analysis Laboratories
Administrative Order No. 31 S. 1979
The only certain AO regarding the management and supervision of laboratories of drinking
water analysis (including the qualified analysts)

Who is qualified to direct and supervise a laboratory for drinking water analysis?

A licensed sanitary engineer

However, if the laboratory is attached to a licensed clinical laboratory, the
clinical pathologist licensed to supervise the laboratory shall also oversee
the laboratory for drinking water analysis

Who are qualified to become an analyst of a laboratory for drinking water analysis?

Registered medical technologist

Registered pharmacist
Licensed chemist
Microbiologist
 SPECIFIC ANALYTICAL SERVICE
Registered medical technologist, registered pharmacist or a
Bacteriological and biological
microbiologist
analysis services

Physical and chemical analysis Licensed chemist

services

Radiological quality Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI)

examination
H2
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LABORATORY
06
REPORTS & RECORDS
Laws Governing Water Analysis Laboratories
 Who are the persons authorized to sign an official
laboratory report ?
HEAD OF THE
ANALYST LABORATORY
The analyst in charge of the laboratory report and the
head of the laboratory are the only individuals
authorized to sign the official water analysis report
NOTE
The head of the laboratory and analyst must affix
their actual signature to all laboratory reports prior to
issuance
Laboratory records shall be kept secure and
confidential. Record shall also be retained on the
premises for a MINIMUM of five (5) YEARS
OUTSOURCED TESTS
Results of outsourced tests from another accredited
laboratory shall be attached to the original laboratory
results
H2
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VIOLATIONS
06 AND
PENAL PROVISIONS
Laws Governing Water Analysis Laboratories
 SECRETARY OF HEALTH
Through the HFSRB, is charged with the responsibility of strictly enforcing the
Provisions of P.D. No. 856, particularly the registration of laboratories for drinking
water and its implementing rules

Violation of the rules and regulations of P.D. No. 856 relating to accreditation of laboratories of
drinking water analysis may result in the suspension or revocation of COA by the HFSRB or CHD

GROUNDS FOR REVOCATION OR SUSPENSION OF COA

Issuance of fraudulent water testing result
Change in the ownership, location, and head of the laboratory or personnel without informing the
HFSRB/CHD
Refusal to allow survey or monitoring visits of the laboratory by the person/s authorized by the
HFSRB/CHD at an appropriate time
Refusal to participate in the proficiency testing conducted by the NRL
Any material false statement in the application
 If the laboratory is found violating these rules and regulations on
a monitoring visit, the HFSRB/CHD may IMMEDIATELY preventively suspend the
operation of the aforesaid laboratory for

NOT MORE THAN 60 DAYS

Any laboratory for drinking water analysis or any of its personnel aggrieved by the decision of
the HFSRB/CHD may file a notice of appeal to the

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

WITHIN 15 DAYS

The decision of the Secretary of Health is FINAL AND EXECUTORY

H2
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CONCLUSION
Laws Governing Water Analysis Laboratories
CONCLUSION

In conclusion,

These provided laws prove to be crucial to ensure that the quality of water in the
Philippines is always up to standard. Regulation of laboratories in charge to analyze the
potability of the water we drink everyday is important to ensure accurate results in the
detection of anomalies in water samples, giving way for immediate corrective action, and
therefore maintaining safe water quality. Moreover, ensuring safe drinking water for all
reduces the prevalence of several water-borne illnesses that cause harm to an individual’s
health that ultimately degrades the quality of life of many communities. Therefore, we must
uphold and give importance to these laws which act to preserve and protect this natural God-
given resource not only for us, but for the future generations as well.
 MEET THE TEAM
LAWS GOVERNING WATER ANALYSIS LABORATORIES
H2O GROUP
BS MLS 2-B

KYLE RAPHAEL COLLADO MA. LOUCEL RODRIGUEZ JUSTIN DIMAYUGA

THANK YOU !
FOR ATTENTIVELY LISTENING