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The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. XIII conducted the Groundwater Resources Assessment on September 13 to October 8, 2016 in the Municipalities of San Miguel, Bayabas, Cantilan and Carrascal in Surigao del Sur.

A team of geologists and geologic mappers from the Geosciences Division of MGB ROXIII was divided into two groups to conduct Groundwater Resources Assessment in all 56 barangays of the four aforementioned municipalities.

Aside from well inventory, the team surveyed every water source in each barangay. Water source can be a well or a spring. General information like geology and geomorphology of the area was noted.  Similarly, the well construction data such as well usage, well type, drilling method and pump type as well as the spring and the rock type data were taken during the survey. The team took water samples of each major water source in all barangays for pH and alkalinity test. After the survey at the end of each day, the geologists conducted the pH and alkalinity tests on all water samples taken on that same day as the water samples should be analyzed within 24 hours.

To generalize the results of the tests, the pH for water samples mostly ranged from 6.16-7.91 while the total alkalinity ranged from 50-200. Water can be determined as acidic if the pH is below 7, while the basic is above 7. Another task for the team was the distribution of the 1:10,000 scale geohazard maps to all barangays of the Municipalities of San Miguel and Bayabas in Surigao del Sur. The geologists explained the components and usage of the geohazard map to the barangay officials present during the visit of the Geoscience Division team.