How safe is Manila Water?

If you read the papers, and only those, you may never know. This is a dilemma which plagues consumers of many kinds of products. If one consumer has doubts about the quality of a product, it might happen that what she spends verifying product quality might not be worth it. She can spend time and effort and finally know that the product was sub-standard. Then what? The government regulatory agency might say that they would do something about it? In the meantime what?
In the past year or two, cancer survivor Pinky Tobiano has been publicizing results about water quality tests conducted on samples in Metro Manila. Initially, I was alarmed about the test results in regard to bacteria. But lately, after watching her on the show of Korina Sanchez, where results in regard to lead content were discussed, I was alarmed. How can this be happening?
In the mid nineties, I wrote a paper discussing the benefits and costs of eliminating the lead content in gasoline and the paper concluded that a well phased-out program in regard to lead in gasoline was beneficial. But water is a more essential product than gasoline and I ask myself why government could be so far behind in the regulation of lead in water.

If you are reading this and you have children, call me, even if I may not have the best advice. Somehow, I will, and can tell you how to direct your ire.