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Friday, May 19, 2006
Peña: Septic tank waste
By Rox Peña
HAVE you ever wondered where your septic tank sludge is disposed after it is siphoned and hauled by your excavator? Take a hint form this report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
According to the DENR website, Secretary Angelo Reyes ordered the closure last May 15 of a septic tank excavator for illegally dumping its collected human waste into an open street drainage system in Barangay Bagong Ilog in Pasig City.
Given a cease and desist order, and facing civil and criminal liability, were E. Malabanan Excavator and Plumbing Services and BAM Plumbing Services, the operators of the trucks that dumped sludge into the drainage system that goes directly into the Pasig River.
There you go. Dumped into the river. Out of sight, out of mind. I think this practice is also happening in many parts of the country. Sludge is not only the problem, even the disposal of contaminated water from houses is a growing concern. The top polluter of our water bodies is household waste. Domestic wastewater accounts for about 48 percent of water pollution, followed by agriculture at 37 percent and industrial sources at 15 percent. Of the three, only the industries are well monitored by regulatory bodies.
At present, the common method of treating domestic sewage is through a septic tank or "Pozo Negro," an underground, concrete storage area where the waste is partially treated through settling and digestion by naturally occurring anaerobic bacteria.
But not all solids will be digested so it needs to be pumped out regularly. Sewerage treatment for domestic sources is supposedly a basic service, but it requires a huge investment. Only a few areas in the country have sewage treatment plants.
According to a World Bank report last 2003, urban centers like Metro Manila has a sewerage treatment that covers only eight percent of the population. In Baguio City it is at two percent, Davao City at two percent, Zamboanga City and Bacolod City at one percent.
Recognizing the need to address water pollution from the house holds, the Clean Water Act of 2004 provides for the construction of sewerage treatment systems for domestic sources. Section 7 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Act states that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), in coordination with the DENR, local government units and other concerned agencies, shall prepare a national program on sewerage management.
The National Government, may allot, on an annual basis, funds for the construction and rehabilitation of required facilities. Each LGU however, may enact ordinances adjusting local property taxes or impose service fee system to meet necessary expenses for the operation and maintenance of sewerage treatment or septage management facility servicing their area.
For the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of sewage under Section 8 of the IRR, the Department of Health shall issue the standards and guidelines on sanitation. If the sludge is used for agricultural purposes, it must comply with the standards set by the DENR and the Department of Agriculture.
Wait a minute... sewage sludge for agriculture? Well, yes, you read it right. The use of human excreta, or night soil, to fertilize crops and feed fish is a common practice for thousands of years in China. To make fertilizer, water is removed from night soil then mixed with waste or crop straw. Then, anaerobic fermenting takes place in containers during 20 days. After drying, the product is granulated, packed and sold to farmers.
The Clean Water Act may be the answer to our water pollution problem. But while some of its important provisions are still for implementation, let us be vigilant. Know where your waste is dumped.
(May 19, 2006 issue)
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