MCDCB urges LGUs to have ordinance on waste disposal

CEBU, Philippines - The Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) agreed to ask local government units for the passage of an ordinance for the mandatory dislodging of septic wastes.

 “Maybe we should request the legislative bodies of the LGUs to pass an ordinance on it,” suggested Governor Hilario Davide III, chairman of MCDCB, during its quarterly meeting the other day.

 Davide’s suggestion was agreed upon by the board, which consists of Metro Cebu mayors, business leaders and other stakeholders.

 Metro Cebu Water District has taken the responsibility for the mandatory dislodging, since according to its general manager Ernie Delco, if human wastes would infiltrate the ground water, it would affect the source of water in the whole metro.

He said even those vacuumed from households are disposed to rivers or just anywhere, as companies paid to do the job don’t have treatment plants and this endangers the water supply more.

 “This is very important. Ang mga tawo raba dili kakita. Diha maproblema kung mag-clog na. They let it flow to the drainage. Before moadto sa dagat moadto pa sa sapa, then mo-infiltrate sa atong aquifer,” he said.

 Of the eight LGUs which MCWD is servicing, so far, only Cebu City and Cordova town have approved an ordinance for mandatory dislodging of wastes. MCDCB directed its secretariat to furnish a “sample ordinance” to other LGUs for them to follow.

 But since it will take time to have other LGUs to do their part, Delco said they will go ahead with the first phase of the project, starting with Cebu City and then Cordova.

 Delco disclosed that before this year ends, they will have constructed a septage treatment plant in Cordova, which will service the entire Mactan Island, and another one in Cebu City for the use of the city and the neighboring localities.

 Delco said there are already signs that the ground water is infiltrated with Escherichia coli bacteria (from fecal wastes) and this could infiltrate the aquifer, where MCWD gets its water. He, however, clarified that MCWD’s water passes through three treatment systems before it gets to the household faucets.

But although this is not yet alarming, Delco said Metro Cebu should not wait for that to happen.

 Once all the LGUs have agreed to the mandatory dislodging and when the treatment plants are built, Delco said vacuum trucks will collect the wastes from household septic tanks and deposit these to the plant for treatment.

 There is, however, a fee which will add the water bill.

 “Gi-finalize pa ang presyo, but very affordable. Dili siguro moabot og P3 per cubic,” Delco said. — (FREEMAN)