Consumers to pay less if MCWD builds STP

CEBU, Philippines - Consumers will be paying less if the local government unit will allow the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) to handle the septage treatment program.

This is according to MCWD general manager Armando Paredes, who is now working with local government units in Metro Cebu to comply with the provisions of the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 (R. A. No. 9275) to ensure sustainable quality supply and sanitation of water.

Paredes, in an interview with The FREEMAN, yesterday said that the local governments would spend less if MCWD would be allowed to build a septage treatment plant in the North Reclamation Area.

The Talisay City Council, for instance, remains undecided citing their concern for the water concessionaries as such project would mean additional fees would be collected and some of the concessionaries do not even have toilets.

While Paredes understands the concern of the city government, he said “it is their option if they want our offer. We are just here to offer, we will not insist.”

He added that it is not the responsibility of the MCWD to put up toilets in the houses. 

Paredes told The FREEMAN that it would cost P70 million just to put up a septage treatment plant.

In its proposal, MCWD said the collection of septage will be done every five years. MCWD will bid out contracts to private desludgers. MCWD intends to recover the costs incurred for providing the service by adding a fee to the consumer’s monthly bill.

The amount is yet to be discussed, but MCWD assured that there will be a public hearing and campaign before such is finalized.

MCWD is aware that there is no accredited treatment facility in Cebu, which is the reason why septage haulers dump untreated septage illegally.

Paredes said the current practice now shows that due to lack of proper septage management program, septic tanks are not properly maintained. They are usually desludged only when they overflow, he said.

When septic tanks are desludged, the septage removed is dumped without proper treatment.

Worse, MCWD found out that many septic tanks that are poorly maintained have open bottom leaching chamber that contaminates the ground water.

As early as 1996, the Water Quality Management Section of the Environment Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, thirty-one percent (31%) of all illnesses in the country are attributed to polluted water.

This could have increased tremendously considering the dismal state of the country’s water management where on the aggregate trend only three percent of investments in water supply and sanitation were going to sanitation and sewage treatment.

Clearly, to ensure access to clean water for all Filipinos, it was imperative that government put together a comprehensive strategy to protect water quality.

Cebu City is one of the areas they identified as a suitable place for one of the three treatment plants they are planning to build within their franchise area.

The three treatment plants shall serve MCWD customers in four municipalities and four cities that are under their jurisdiction. 

Another STP will be built in Cordova for MCWD’s consumers in Lapu-Lapu City, Cordova and later on, to include Mandaue City.

The other STP is eyed somewhere in the northern part of Cebu to serve the customers in Lilo-an, Consolacion, and Compostela. (FREEMAN)