DENR stops West Tower wastewater treatment

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the management of the West Tower Condominium Corp. (WTCC) to stop conducting on-site treatment of oil-tainted water from its basement after it failed to meet the standards set by the agency.

The DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) noted that WTCC should stop conducting water treatment with its contractor, Bensan Industries Inc., because the firm committed violations concerning effluent regulations. Bensan was tasked to haul and treat water being drained from the basement.

The order, signed by EMB officer-in-charge Roberto Sheen, stated that “WTCC’s special discharge permit had expired and had failed to pass in accordance with the DENR parameters under Revised Effluent Regulations of 1990.”

As a result of the oil leak at the basement of West Tower, which started in July last year, WTCC was required to immediately haul out all the contaminated water from its basement and have it treated by a DENR-accredited waste treatment firm.

The WTCC then contracted Bensan Industries for the installation and operation of the on-site wastewater treatment facility.