CSF Water District needs P100-M for septage treatment facility
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— The City of San Fernando Water District (CSFWD) needs some P100-million to construct its planned septage treatment facility and less than a hectare of land for the facility.
This was according to CSFWD General Manager Jorge Gumba who added that the amount would at least see through the fulfilment of the planned treatment facility as envisioned in Ordinance 2018-1 or “An Ordinance Establishing a Septage Management System in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof and for other Pur poses.”
The construction and operation of sewerage and septage systems are required by the Clean Water Act of 2004 (Republic Act No. 9275).
The law imposes a fine of P200,000 for every day of non-compliance. The National Sewerage and Septage Management Program, implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways, set 2020 as deadline for cities to establish their own septage management system.
The water district will be in charge with the collection and treatment of septage waste and would charge fees per cubic meter of collected waste.
Because the ordinance prohibits the use of creeks and other forms of waterways for the disposal of human waste (feces and urine), it was suggested that the city government should allot funds
for the construction of communal toilets, according to Gumba. Back in 2009, a company was fined for dumping sludge in sugarcane farms in Barangay Alasas and Magliman. Gumba added that they are now in the process of identifying the source of the fund and how to proceed in the construction and management of the planned facility.