A FEASIBILITY study is on for the possible construction of a sewage treatment plant eyed in Benguet’s capital town.
Ma. Victoria Abrera, Environment Management Bureau (EMB)-Cordillera director, in a press conference recently said P500,000 was allotted for a feasibility study to possibly put up a sewerage treatment plant (STP) in La Trinidad.
Abrera said the feasibility study should be done by May, but it lapsed, prompting the office to send a letter to the proponent.
However, their office was informed of the demise of the president involved in the feasibility study but another proponent has penned their office.
Once the feasibility study is done, the total cost needed will be determined for the put up of the proposed sewerage treatment plant.
Mayor Romeo Salda said if the proposed STP project of EMB-DENR pushed through at Balili River near the Benguet State University lot, all water will go through the STP and once processed, it can be diverted to strawberry farm and cutflower irrigation for barangays Alno, Bahong and Alapang.
With a length of 23.81 kilometers, Balili River traverses Baguio City and the towns of La Trinidad and Sablan before entering La Union.
Last month, EMB-Cordillera and the City government of Baguio encouraged big establishments in the city to have their own STP and treat their effluents because the final discharges will be Balili or Bued River with high fecal chloroform.
EMB-Cordillera as per record said the design capacity of the city’s STP is 8,500 cubic meter a day while during peak season or rainy season it can go 12,000 cubic meter per day.
The existing STP of Baguio is being managed by the Wastewater, Water Ambient Air Management Division of the City Environment and Parks Management Office with a service area which covers the central business district and 65 barangays out of the 128 barangays of Baguio.
The Baguio STP is a grant aid project of the Japanese Government which was completed on March 1986.