THE owners of houses, buildings and villages can reduce their water consumption from Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) if they will install a wastewater treatment facility.
Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 Director William Cuñado revealed that there is no efficient wastewater treatment facility in Metro Cebu, the reason they are now strictly implementing the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.
He said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has provided a grant of P1 billion to MCWD to construct at least nine wastewater treatment facilities in strategic areas in Metro Cebu, but there is no definite date of completion yet.
Cuñado cited the case of Cebu Business Park, which produces about 10,000 cubic meters (cu.m) of wastewater per day. Cuñado said it withheld the release of its permit to dispose of treated wastewater to polluted creeks.
When Ayala sent six lawyers to EMB 7, Cuñado asked them why they disposed of 10,000 cu.m. of treated wastewater to the polluted creeks when it could be recycled for toilet flushing, watering plants and cleaning the environment, among others.
He said Ayala buys water from MCWD at P40 per cu.m. and treats the wastewater at P20 per cu.m. If it recycles treated water, the company can reduce water supply purchases from MCWD.
“This means savings of P300,000 per day, P9 million per month and P120 million a year,” Cuñado said.
When the lawyers came back, they told Cuñado that the Ayala board implemented his idea, hence, a reduction of water purchases from MCWD.
Cuñado said if this will also be applied in every house and establishment, there will be a tremendous reduction of water sourced from the water districts.
The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 aims to protect the country’s water bodies from pollution from land-based sources (industries and commercial establishments, agriculture and community/household activities).
It provides for a comprehensive and integrated strategy to prevent and minimize pollution through a multi-sectoral and participatory approach involving all the stakeholders. (EOB)