Nature-based technology offers cleaner water for Filipino communitiesDutch national Sean Ligtvoet, an engineer who studied water management at t...

Published on by

Nature-based technology offers cleaner water for Filipino communitiesDutch national Sean Ligtvoet, an engineer who studied water management at t...
Nature-based technology offers cleaner water for Filipino communities

Dutch national Sean Ligtvoet, an engineer who studied water management at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, found his purpose in addressing wastewater challenges when he came to the Philippines.
Initially, he took an internship focused on flood reduction. “But after a week,” he said, “I was sure that the issues regarding improper wastewater management were far more severe.”
Data from water.org highlight the urgency of the problem. Out of more than 100 million Filipinos, about 9 million rely on unsafe and unsustainable water sources, while 19 million lack access to improved sanitation.
The organization also noted that families without access to safe water often spend significant time collecting it, while those without sanitary toilets are left with difficult and sometimes unsafe options.
A study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) showed that less than half of Filipino households have piped water connections within their homes. In addition, 332 municipalities are still classified as “water-less,” with more than half of residents lacking a reliable water supply.
Ligtvoet, who now resides in Davao City with his Filipina spouse, Tedz, sought to address the issue by working with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). In 2012, he introduced the concept of the Profitable Sanitation Facility (PSF) to Dr. Anthony C. Sales at the agency’s regional office.
“I feel very blessed working for him,” said Ligtvoet, now a senior technical specialist at the DOST Davao regional office. “He is by far the most intelligent person I know and gives me the space and guidance to improve the technology.”
The PSF project aims to provide the urban poor communities with access to clean toilets and showers, as well as high-quality drinking water supplied by the Davao City Water District (DCWD).
“It’s a public comfort room with five toilets, designed for a capacity of 200 users a day,” Ligtvoet said. “The wastewater goes to a septic tank below the facility, where it stays for four to five days, before being treated through a helophyte-filter system.”
The treated wastewater is then discharged into nearby bodies of water in compliance with effluent standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
SOURCE:https://mb.com.ph/2026/04/24/nature-based-technology-offers-cleaner-water-for-filipino-communities

Media

Taxonomy