The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 has issued a strong warning against consuming water from groundwater and other sources that have been contaminated by ash from the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.
Arthur Niño Calupig, an Air Quality Monitoring Expert, emphasized that simply filtering visible ash particles is insufficient to make the water safe. He explained that volcanic ash contains sulfur and other minerals or chemicals that can contaminate water sources and cause health problems.
Health risks from volcanic ash in water
“Once our groundwater sources used for drinking are affected, it is really not advisable to consume them,” Calupig said during an online press conference on Thursday, July 9, 2026. The advisory came after ash from Kanlaon Volcano reached parts of Cebu due to the eruption.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) also advised the public to avoid hosing down thick ash deposits. Mariton Antonia Bornas, head of Phivolcs Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division, said residents should instead sweep and properly collect the ash, as washing it with water could clog canals and drainage systems.
