THE Septage Management Program (SMP) of Davao City is targeted to be operational by the end of 2023, according to the Davao City Water District on February 24.
In an interview with SunStar Davao, DCWD spokesperson Jovana Cresta Duhaylungsod said they are currently in the infrastructure development phase which mainly covers the construction of the treatment plant expected to be finished by the fourth quarter or the end of the year.
The facility is Davao City’s first government-owned septage treatment plant located at a 3,300-square-meter patch of land at Malagamot Road in Barangay Indangan. It is one of the proposed five treatment plants under the said program.
Once the first treatment plant is completed, the SMP will be launched as the latest sanitation service of DCWD in partnership with the local government unit to properly enforce sanitation policies in the city.
The SMP service aims to dislodge the septic tanks of households, transport the wastewater to the treatment facility and undergo proper treatment before it can be disposed of properly.
“(After the treatment) pwede na siya mabalik, ma-dispose sa atong (It can be returned to the) waterways without harming the environment,” Duhaylungsod said.
After finalizing the logistics, including recruitment and training of personnel, DCWD aims to roll out the service to the public only after they’ve conducted pilot testing of the water treatment process.
As of now, Duhaylungsod said DCWD is partnering with the City Health Office and the City Information Office for the education campaign and information dissemination regarding the program. ICM