Water Quality Assessment of Acmonan River of Mount Matutum Watershed, Tupi, South Cotabato

Mt. Matutum covers 25% of the watershed in Central Mindanao. One of its tributaries is the Acmonan River, situated in the municipality of Tupi, Province of South Cotabato. However, there is little knowledge about the water quality of this tributary. Hence, a study on the physicochemical and bacteriological parameters of the river was conducted. Multiple Tube Fermentation Technique (MTFT) was used to assess the biological parameters of the river. Results show that the total coliform count in the months of February and May exceeds the standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The fecal coliform count in the month of February did not pass the standard while that in May was tolerable. The physicochemical parameters of the rivers were also tested, including pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and salinity. The pH level, temperature, conductivity, and TDS of the river are within the standards of DENR and the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee (MCCC) in all stations. In terms of the DO level, all the stations in the month of May have acceptable levels. However, only the midstream station passed the standard in the month of February. For salinity, only the month of May passed the standard set by EPA while that in February exceeded the standard.