Updates on Domestic Wastewater
Management in the Philippines
Vicente B. Tuddao, Jr., PhD.
Career Executive Service Officer IV

Assistant Regional Executive Director For Technical Services
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
MIMAROPA Region, Philippines

The 16th WEPA Annual Meeting (online) 01 to 02 March 2021
Conference via Zoom

Facts and Statistics of Domestic Wastewater
Management in the Philippines• Only 10% of wastewater is treated;• Only 5% of the total population is connected to a sewer network.
The vast majority uses flush toilets connected to septic tanks;• 76.8 percent of families in the Philippines have sanitary toilet facilities(DOH, 2008).
• Less than 10 percent have access to piped sewerage systems. Thosethat are not connected to a sewerage network rely on septic tanks,
pit latrines, or practice open defecation.

• In Metro Manila, 43 sewage treatment plants (STPs) andseptage treatment plants (SpTPs) service more than amillion residents or around 10 percent of the region’s
entire population. An average of 9.4 million kilograms ofBOD was removed per year. The highest pollution load
reduction was attained in 2012 with 9.5 million kilogramsof BOD removed.

Source: Nat’l Water Quality Status Report, EMB (Based on BOD loadings)

Domestic Wastewater Sewage Treatment Plant (STP),
Manila, Philippines (Date started operation: July 30, 2020)

Capacity: 500,000 liters per day
Feature: Solar Powered, treatment of wastewater will be done through the installed
wastewater interceptor on different drainage outfalls that lead to Manila Bay to receiveand control the untreated wastewater from households within the Metro Manila
communities. The STP then process and treat the domestic WW coming from theinterceptors before releasing it into the Manila Bay.

Total
Total
Area:
Area:
300,000
300,000
SqSqkmkmBalanga, Bataan
Balanga, Bataan

Location of Some of theSewage Treatment Plants
in Metro Manila andAdjacent Provinces

Regulatory framework for domestic
wastewater management

PHILIPPINE CLEAN WATER ACT OF 2004
(Republic Act No. 9275)
Provides For A Comprehensive and Integrated Strategy toprevent and minimize pollution through a Multi-Sectoral andparticipatory approach involving all the stakeholders.

The Clean Water Act Applies To:• Water quality management in all water bodies.
• Abatement and control of pollution fromland-based sources.
• Enforcement of water quality standards,regulations and penalties.

DENR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2016-08(An amendment of DAO 1990-35)

WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES AND GENERAL
EFFLUENT STANDARDS OF 2016•

Discharges from any point source shall at all times meet theeffluent standards
The GES shall be used regardless of theindustry category and volume of discharge
Effluent used for agricultural purposes shall conform to theDA Administrative Order No. 2007-26.

•DAO 2016- 08 has also provision for the water classificationof water bodies for the purpose of maintaining the qualityof water based on beneficial usage.

• The National Sewerage and Septage Management
Program (NSSMP) shall include a priority listing ofsewerage, septage and combined sewerage-septage
projects for Local Government Units (LGUs) based on
population density and growth, degradation of water
resources, topography, geology, vegetation, programs/projects for the rehabilitation of existing facilities andsuch other factors that the DENR Secretary may deem
relevant to the protection of water quality. (Sec. 7 andSec. 8, Clean Water Act)•Under the National Sewerage and Septage Management
Program, the LGUs shall share the responsibility in themanagement and improvement of water quality within theirterritorial jurisdictions. (Sec. 20)•Local Government Units are the key players in the Water
Quality Management Areas designated by DENR inaccordance with Sec. 5 of the Clean Water Act and its IRR

Water Body Classification and Usage of Freshwaters(Rivers, Lakes)
Classification
Class AAAAA

Intended Beneficial Use
Public Water Supply Class I – Intended primarilyfor waters having watersheds, which areuninhabited and otherwise protected, and whichrequire only approved disinfection to meet thePhilippine National Standards for Drinking
Water (PNSDW)
Public Water Supply Class II – For sources ofwater supply requiring conventional treatment(coagulation, sedimentation, filtration anddisinfection) to meet the latest PNSDWWater Body Classification and Usage of Freshwaters(Rivers, Lakes)
Classification

B

C

Beneficial Use
Recreational Water Class I – intended forprimary contact recreation (bathing, swimming,skin diving, etc.)• Fishery Water for the propagation andgrowth of fish and other aquatic resources• Recreational Water Class II (Boating, fishingor similar activities)• For agriculture, irrigation, and livestockwatering)Effluent Standards (DAO 2016-08)

Parameter

Class A Class B

Class CClass DAmmonia as NH3-N,
mg/L

0.5

0.5

0.5

7.5

BOD5,mg/L

2030

50120

Boron, mg/L

22312Chloride, mg/L

350

350

450

500

COD, mg/L

60

60100200Color, TCU

100100150300

Cyanide as Free
Cyanide, mg/L

0.14

0.14

0.20.4

Fluoride, mg/L

2224

Parameter

Class AClass BClass CClass D14141430

6.0-9.0

6.0-9.0

6.0-9.5

5.5-9.5

Phosphate, mg/L11110Selenium, mg/L

0.02

0.02

0.04

0.08

Sulfate, mg/L

500

500

550

1,000

Surfactants (MBAS),
mg/L

231530Temperature(h) °Cchange3333Total Suspended Solids,
mg/L

70

85

100

150

Nitrate as NO3-N,
mg/L
pH (Range)

Parameter

Class AClass BClass CClass D

Arsenic, mg/L

0.02

0.02

0.04

0.08Barium, mg/L

1.5

1.5

68Cadmium, mg/L

0.006

0.006

0.01

0.02

Chromium as
Hexavalent Chromium(Cr6+)

0.02

0.02

0.02

0.04

Copper as dissolvedCopper, mg/L

0.04

0.04

0.040.08Iron, mg/L

55

7.5

35Lead, mg/L

0.02

0.02

0.1

0.2

Manganese, mg/L22220

Issues and challenges, future targets/plansfor proper domestic wastewater management

Plans and Programs• By 2037, 100 percent of all households (with projected population of 15million ) and commercial establishments within Metro Manila should haveconnected to sewer lines for the wastewater treatment facilities/plants to be
put up and operated by the Manila Water Company and Maynilad Water Services Co.
Targets
Metroin line with the 25 year contracts signed between said companies and theManilaand forgovernment through the Metropolitan Waterworks, and Sewerage System (MWSS);
AreasOutside• All LGUs should have developed septage management systems and the 17 highly
Metro Manila
urbanized cities have developed sewerage systems by 2022 per Philippine
Development Plan (PDP).
• By 2022, approximately 43.6 million people have access to SpTPs and about 3.2
million will have access to STPs.
• By 2022, PhP 26.3 billion has been invested in sanitation improvement projects.
• By 2022, about 346 million kg of BOD is diverted from the environment per year asa result of the sewerage and septage management projects

Issues and challenges:•Need for Access to cost-effective and efficient Domestic
Wastewater technologies.
Increase access to the new knowledge and technologies
generated from international/regional R&D, standards for theeffective and efficient management of domestic wastewater
through WEPA.
Participation to the global or regional network for the accessto information on improved approaches/strategies, and accessto financial and technical assistance in the development of thecountry’s comprehensive domestic wastewater treatment
systems and facilities;

Issues and challenges:•Inadequate government funding resources to implement wider domestic
wastewater management program with the increasing population andlocal economic activities
Encourage private investment (for localities outside the capital) and/or
through options such as public-private partnership and Built-Operate
Transfer Scheme.

•With the foundation for domestic wastewater management already laidout, the main challenge now lies in the provision of bigger budget under
the general appropriation of the government, continuation of existing
management policies and programs to strictly implement wider scope ofdomestic wastewater management programs in order to preserve thequality of the country’s water bodies, and ultimately, achieve and sustain
quality life for future generations

Proposed Topics for Discussion:• Available Improved and cost-effective technology on
domestic wastewater management using septic tankapproach and its management (construction, operationand treatment);•WEPA support to training program on domestic
wastewater management best practices, policy
development and sharing. Under Pandemic COVID-19,training program using Zoom webinar may beapplicable.

References:
ARCOWA 2018.Wastewater Management and Resource Recovery in thePhilippines: Current status and opportunities. GEF, UNDP, PEMSEA
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipnas (BSP), Selected Economic and Financial Indicators(accessed 2021.1.3) https://www.bsp.gov.ph/Statistics/keystat/sefi.pdf
EMB. 2014. National Water Quality Status Report. 2006-2013, Environmental
Management Bureau
EMB. 2019. Annual Report for CY2019. Environmental Management Bureau
FAO AQUASTAT. (2020). http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/data/query/results.html (accessed 2020.12.15)
LLDA. (2018). Annual Report 2018. The Laguna Lake Development Authority

Manila BayThank you

Thank you for your kind attention!