Manila Water opens sewage treatment facility in UP

Manila Water Co. Inc. (MWCI) has opened its P120-million sewage treatment facility near the University of the Philippines (UP) campus in Quezon City in a bid to improve water quality of the Diliman creek.

The sewage treatment plant (STP) in UP, which was inaugurated the other day, is among 27 new STPs being built by Manila Water for its concession area in Metro Manila. The 27 STPs will benefit some 200,000 people, the company said.

"The UP treatment plant will ensure that all sewage generated within the campus will be treated fully so that waste water discharged to the Diliman creek will comply with the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) standards," Manila Water president Antonino Aquino said.

He added that the STP will result in a 75 percent reduction in pollution, in terms of biochemical oxygen demand.

Aquino was joined by top government officials, including Environment Secretary Elisea Gozun, at the inauguration of the UP-STP, which is located beside the National Hydraulic Research Center.

The UP-STP will collect and treat all sewage flows from buildings and housing communities within the campus as well as from the proposed Science and Technology Park along Commonwealth Avenue. It is expected to produce seven million liters of treated wastewater each day.

Manila Water said approximately 70,000 residents stand to benefit from the UP-STP.

As with the newly-rehabilitated Magallanes Wastewater Treatment Plant in Makati City, which Manila Water opened early this year, treated wastewater from the UP-STP shall also be made available for free to local government units in Metro Manila and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Water from the STPs can be used to water plants in the beautification projects of cities, among others.

The P500-million STP in Makati City treats wastewater from Magallanes, Salcedo, Dasmariñas, Urdaneta and Legaspi Villages; Bel-Air 1, 3, and 4; North Forbes Park; and the Makati Commercial Business District. It can produce as much as 34 million liters of treated wastewater per day.

The UP-STP is part of the Ayala-controlled water concessionaire’s P7-billion sewerage and sanitation scheme involving the construction of STPs in organized urban communities in the east zone, and the provision of sanitation facilities for those using septic tanks.

The funding for the program initially came from the World Bank through the Manila Second Sewerage Project (MSSP), a special loan of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

According to the Manila Water, the sewerage and sanitation plan is now part of its P19-billion capital expenditures program spread over the next five years.

The Manila Water concession covers the cities of Marikina, Pasig, Mandaluyong and Makati; a major portion of Quezon City; and parts of Manila, San Juan, Taguig, and Rizal province.