New Sewage Treatment Plant in Manila Bay Started Working Ahead of the Big Cleanup

Published on by in Government

New Sewage Treatment Plant in Manila Bay Started Working Ahead of the Big Cleanup

The ongoing refurbishment of the six-story building that houses the central office of the Department of Finance (DOF) along Roxas Boulevard in Manila now includes a state-of-the-art sewage treatment facility that is now operational in line with the government’s efforts to rehabilitate the Manila Bay.

With President Duterte directing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to spearhead efforts to rehabilitate Manila Bay, among the DENR’s first directives was to order establishments surrounding Manila Bay, which include the DOF, to put up their respective sewage treatment plants (STPs) within three months or face sanctions. STP that became operational in November 2018 using the latest technology in treating sewage water effluent discharged into Manila Bay.

The DOF is among the few government agencies whose offices have their own STPs utilizing the latest sewage treatment technologies, discharging effluent into the Manila Bay that is classified as Class C, which is fit for fishing. Now, the Department is conducting tests to check what still needs to be done for STP to meet the Class B requirement, which is fit for bathing and swimming.

The plant includes a LED lighting system to minimize power consumption, and a building management system to monitor and control the building facilities such as its centralized air conditioning and other equipment and utilities. The government invested P2.8 million (roughly $54,000) for this project which is self-maintaining, thus incurring no maintenance costs at all for the DOF. ne of its biggest advantages is the fact the users are able to regulate and control effluent water, making sure that it is in compliance with the government requirements, and thus contributing to the preservation of marine resources.

The Big Cleanup

The Supreme Court of Philippines had ordered in a 2008 ruling 13 government agencies, led by the DENR, to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve” the historic Manila Bay. The high court’s directive required these government agencies to maintain the waters of Manila Bay to a level fit for “swimming, skin diving and other forms of contact recreation.”

Despite the Supreme Court ruling, the waters of Manila Bay continued to deteriorate over the years, with its fecal coliform level today reported at 330 million most probable number (MPN) per 100 millimeters (ml). The acceptable Class SB level fit for swimming is 100 MPN/100 ml.

President Duterte has directed the DENR and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to take charge of the rehabilitation program for Manila Bay, which is renown for being one of the best sunset spots in the country.

The President also directed establishments along Manila Bay to observe environmental regulations and water quality guidelines under the Clean Water Act or else face closure.

Last week, one of the biggest cleanup projects was organized in the Manila Bay with several thousand volunteers joining forces to clean the bay. Below you can see the video report from that day. 

Source: DOF

Attached link

http://www.youtube.com/embed/8o7trzC17Ag

Media

Taxonomy