DILG compels LGUs to put up septage treatment plant

ANGELES CITY — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) requires local government units in Central Luzon to implement their respective septage treatment project.

This was learned from Angeles City Water District (ACWD) general manager Reynaldo C. Liwanag who said that LGUs, through their respective councils, should pass ordinances in support of the establishment of waste water treatment facilities.

The DILG issued a memorandum compelling the local government units to support the septage treatment project being implemented by water districts, according to Liwanag.

This is in line with the Supreme Court writ of continuing mandamus dated December 18, 2008 directing 13 government agencies to clean up, rehabilitate, and eventually preserve Manila Bay.

Manila Bay, which enjoins the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, and Bulacan in Central Luzon; Malabon , Navotas, Calooca, Manila, Pasay, Paranaque, and Las Pinas in the National Capital Region; the Pasig River and Laguna Lake systems; and Cavite in Southern Tagalog, accounts for more than 30 million population.

The Manila Bay Coordinating Office (MBCO) said the bay’s water quality remained poor due to the continued dumping of untreated wastewater and garbage from these areas.

Liwanag earlier announced the construction of a septage treatment plant in line with environmental protection program of the government.

He said the facility has a capacity of 85 to 100 cubic meters per day.

Waste collected from the septic tanks of residential and commercial centers will be processed inside the septage treatment plant, according to Liwanag.

Trucks will collect waste water from residences of concessionaires and non-concessionaires every three to five years, he said.

The service fee, which is about seven percent of the consumer’s total consumption of water, will be collected monthly, Liwanag added. “You will about 20 to 30 pesos per month until the period of 3 to five years when your septic tank is due for collection of waste water.”

Liwanag disclosed that the ACWD management is planning to implement its second water rate adjustment, which is already due since 2014, next year to generate funds for the septage treatment project.

The water district has estimated cost of project, which will be completed by first quarter of 2017, is about P99 million, according to Liwanag.

The water treatment facility will be built in Barangay Cutud, Liwanag added.

Instead of securing a loan from a bank, Liwanag said the ACWD managemen instead asked the contractor to allow the water district a payment term of two years for the P99 million project cost.