Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s order to stop the operations of cottages and pump boats that are not accredited by the government is very timely. There is a basis for her order after the results of the coliform test showed that the level was very high.It’s also good that the discovery was divulged by Mayor Cesar “Didoy” Suan last Monday, Aug. 15, 2022. The local leader showed transparency to his constituents who have the right to know the goings-on of their town.The town’s water quality is not that bad yet. Rehabilitating it can certainly save it.Aside from its tourism activities, Cordova has welcomed a growing number of real estate developments, and these could have effects on the seawater’s quality.But the problem could not be solely blamed on the fixed and floating cottages. This problem on the town’s water quality can also be traced to the people, particularly the informal settlers living along the town’s shores—their houses, mostly made of wood, do not have toilets, and their excreta go directly to the seas.The water quality of Mactan Channel could have contributed also to Cordova’s coliform level. Why? The channel is the destination of the dirty water coming from the industrialized cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay.The other possible contributing factors are the establishments in Lapu-Lapu City. How sure is the government that their waste does not go to the sea?What should be done now by the local government unit (LGU) of Cordova is to investigate the source of the high level of coliform bacteria. It is necessary to find out the source. If the coliform level goes down after the stoppage of the fixed and floating cottages’ operations, then there is no one else to blame.The real estate projects in Cordova must also be checked if their wastes do not go to the sea.The Cordova Municipal Government must also know how many houses do not have proper comfort rooms. If there are houses that do not have comfort rooms, then the LGU must build toilets for them. If it is difficult to do it individually, the barangays and the LGU can set up communal toilets.What the LGU and Cebu Provincial Government are doing for Cordova’s seawaters could cause the loss of livelihood of the cottage owners and their employees; however, this is only for a short period of time. The good that rehabilitation of Cordova waters will bring is certain in the future.