MCWD plans to build septage treatment plant

CEBU, Philippines - The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) is seeking the approval of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama for the lease of some 3,000 square meters of lot at the North Reclamation Area to become the site of the proposed Septage Treatment Plant (STP).

MCWD is working on the establishment of a Septage Management Program in Metro Cebu where Cebu City is identified as one of the site for the three STPs to be constructed. The proposed Septage Management Program constitutes the collection of septage from septic tanks of MCWD consumers, transport the septage using trucks, treat it at the STP and finally dispose only the clean water and bio-solids.

MCWD would like their engineers to conduct a site inspection and survey on the initially identified area soon in coordination with the City Planning and Development Office and together with a third party appraiser for the determination of the lease price.

The STP in Cebu City, if permitted, will be servicing MCWD customers in some parts of Mandaue, Talisay City and Cebu City.

“These will be done in compliance with DOH and DENR regulations. The collection of septage will be done on a scheduled basis approximately every five years,” MCWD said in its proposal.

MCWD’s SMP shall serve not only Cebu City but the other three cities and four municipalities within its franchise area. The other sites for the two septic tanks are in Lilo-an and Cordova. The project will be implemented in phases, the first phase shall be the establishment of treatment plants in Cebu City and Cordova from 2011 to 20136.

Phase 2 will be the construction of the treatment plant in Lilo-an on 2013 to 2015.

The program is expected to reduce pollution from untreated septage that allegedly is being dumped illegally by private haulers, especially that the Cebu City Government has recently shut down the Sanitary Landfill in Inayawan.

MCWD will conduct a public hearing on the cost that they will have to pass on to the consumers to recover their investment. The cost most probably will be added to the monthly water bills.

But MCWD cited that in Dumaguete City, the customers pay P2 Septage Management Fee for every cubic meter of the household’s monthly water consumption. Different computations are implemented in Sand Fernando City and La union and in Zamboanga City. — (FREEMAN)