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Challenges of Provision of Sewerage Service in the East Zone of Metro Manila

R. Baffrey*, J. Mendoza** and A. Adis**

*Wastewater Operations Department, Manila Water Company, Inc., MWSS-Admin Bldg., Katipunan Road, 1105 Balara, Quezon City, Philippines

(E-mail: robert.baffrey@manilawater.com)
**UP Sewage Treatment Plant, Arboretum Drive, Quezon City, Philippines

(E-mail: jhoanna.mendoza@manilawater.com)
**East Ave. Sewage Treatment plant, East Ave., Central, Quezon City, Philippines

(E-mail: aprille.adis@manilawater.com)

Abstract Urban sanitation is one of the most serious challenges facing the Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila. In 1997, Manila Water, a private consortium, obtained the exclusive rights to provide water and wastewater services to the East Zone of Metro Manila. This was through a 25-year Concession Agreement with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). Before privatization, sewer coverage in the East Zone was at a low of 3%. This corresponds to the Makati Sewerage System and Communal Septic Tanks (CSTs) in Quezon City, which provide secondary and primary treatment respectively. Likewise, capacity for sanitation services was inadequate. Only one desludging truck was available with no facility for appropriate septage disposal and treatment. Fourteen years since the start of the concession, Manila Water now operates 38 treatment facilities and over 78 desludging trucks to provide sewerage and sanitation services in the East Zone. These treatment facilities have a total capacity to treat 135 million liters of wastewater per day. Included in these facilities are 2 septage treatment plants that have served 852,848 households. Manila Water has achieved these through the following integrated strategies a.) Upgrade of Communal Septic Tanks, b.) Septage Management and c.) Pilot-testing of Combined Systems. These strategies, which include technical and non-technical components, allowed Manila Water to provide a solution to the growing problem of domestic pollution discharge to major river systems. More importantly, this paper aims to discuss the challenges encountered by Manila Water all throughout project planning and implementation, citing specific examples and lessons learned. These challenges include land availability, stakeholder endorsement, cooperation with government agencies, social acceptability and operational challenges.

Keywords Sewerage, Sanitation, Manila Water Company, East Zone

INTRODUCTION Background Population influx and unregulated industrial development promoted rapid environmental degradation in Metro Manila. Major water bodies such as the Marikina, San Juan, and Pasig Rivers are biologically dead from indiscriminate discharge of untreated wastewater. The Manila Bay and Laguna Lake are also in serious worsening condition. The amount of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) discharged to the water environment of Metro Manila has been estimated by World Bank to be 330,000 tons per year. Domestic waste generated accounts for 58% of this BOD loading, and the remaining 42% was from industries. This condition of urban sanitation in Metro Manila is reflective of the lack of prioritization of investment in the

water and sanitation sector. In 1997, the existing sewerage facilities were confined to some areas in the city of Manila and parts of Makati only. Most households utilize their own septic tanks or communal septic tanks (CSTs) while those who live in slum areas rely on rudimentary latrines, some even without proper toilet facilities. The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) is the agency with a direct mandate on sewerage and sanitation. Its concession agreements with Manila Water Company, Inc. (Manila Water) and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. include specific commitments on the provision and expansion of sewerage and sanitation services in Metro Manila. Sewerage refers to a pipe collection network for sewage and the treatment of the collected sewage in a sewage treatment plant (STP). Sanitation, on the other hand, refers to the emptying of domestic septic tanks and subsequent septage/sludge treatment and disposal. In response to government calls for the acceleration of the provision of sewerage services, Manila Water, the concessionaire for the East Zone of the MWSS service area, has intensified its efforts by embarking on major sewerage and sanitation projects. Instead of proceeding with the conventional approach of centralized sewerage systems, Manila Water employed a different strategy. The concessionaire adopted an innovative approach, a master plan that first focused on a phased process of converting the common technology of CSTs into community-based, decentralized treatment plants before eventually focusing on larger combined sewer-drainage systems. Major upgrades on the community-based treatment plants have been completed. For the rest of its coverage area, Manila Water embarked on modernizing its fleet of desludging trucks and enhancing septage treatment capacity to maintain efficiency of septic tanks in areas that have yet to be connected to sewer networks. Manila Waters proactive approach to the challenge of providing sewerage and sanitation services was effective as it resulted in significant increase in the number of beneficiaries served. Rationale Wastewater management presents even greater challenges compared to supplying clean, safe tap water. Due to space constraints and the sheer cost of the wastewater infrastructure required, accelerated implementation of centralized sewer networks in Metro Manila is a near impossible task. Innovative and unconventional solutions were needed to address the sewerage and sanitation needs of Manila Water's concession area. Some methods of tackling the issue included transforming CSTs into compact or decentralized STPs. The CSTs were outfitted with equipment for primary and secondary treatment to treat in-coming wastewater before releasing it to rivers and streams. Manila Water has successfully implemented this decentralized approach through the World Bank-funded Manila Second Sewerage Project (MSSP) and constructed 26 new package STPs between 2002 and 2005. This focus on transforming CSTs into decentralized treatment plants was primarily due to Manila Waters decision to identify projects anticipated to deliver the most immediate impact and tangible results in the provision of sewerage services in the East Zone. Through this, Manila Water doubled its sewage treatment capacity, and benefitted more than half a million people by 2005. Moreover, the company increased removal efficiency of existing septic tanks through provision of regular desludging, septage treatment and disposal. Through an on-going follow up project called the Manila Third Sewerage Project (MTSP), upgrading of existing CSTs to STPs was continued. However, to further accelerate expansion of sewerage services, this approach was implemented with the new combined sewer-drainage system. The conceptualization of the MTSP components took into account the limitations and lessons learned from implementing past projects under the MSSP. Understanding the considerations of the strategies presented above will be critical in providing examples of successful project application and lessons learned in implementation. These will serve as bases for establishing sound solution approaches to the growing problem of domestic pollution and assist in the development of a more comprehensive forward-looking wastewater management plan.

Objectives The following are the objectives of this paper: 1. To discuss strategies and best practices in establishing an immediate improvement of sewerage and sanitation services in the East Zone of Metro Manila; 2. To discuss key issues which limit the efficient implementation of sewerage and sanitation projects; 3. To present how past project experience led to the development of a long-term sewerage expansion plans and programs in the East Zone that are intended to address the increasing pollution discharge to Metro Manilas river systems. MANILA WATERS STRATEGY 1997 Situation At the start of Manila Waters concession in 1997, there were only two sewage treatment facilities. This included the Makati South STP, with a capacity of 40 million liters per day (MLD) serving the Makati Central Business District and surrounding residential communities. The second treatment facility is the package treatment plant located in Karangalan Village in Pasig City, which had a capacity of only 0.1 MLD. In addition, there were a total of 34 CSTs in Quezon City providing only primary treatment to 17,000 households. It is worthwhile to note that all facilities were in various states of disrepair and required significant infrastructure improvements for upgrade to international standards. These facilities served a total of only 40,000 households which is only 3% of the total East Zone population. Aside from this minimal sewerage service, the sanitation was inadequate as well. There was only 1 vacuum tanker transferred to Manila Water and no facility was available for appropriate disposal and treatment of septage.

Figure 1. Sewerage Coverage in MWSS Area before 1997 (*Note: Items 3 and 4 are the old sewerage systems located in the East Zone, which was turned over to Manila Water upon privatization) Accomplishments Based on previous sewerage master plans of MWSS, the initial technical solution for Manila Water to meet the original sewerage target was to put up centralized sewerage systems. But due to time constraints and the magnitude of the work needed, Manila Water deemed it to be unworkable for the East Zone in the short term. The construction required would have included massive road excavations and a land area of 47 hectares, both of which were clearly not feasible at that time. In addition to this, there was the issue of customers unwillingness to pay an additional PhP 10/cubic meter increase in water tariffs to recover the extremely high capital investment cost. This excludes

the sewer charge of customers in sewered areas that will amount to almost 50% of their water bill. As a result, Manila Water put forward a strategy that was both technically feasible and affordable to customers. Initially, this strategy was anchored upon decentralized sewerage systems and a massive sanitation service program. By upgrading first existing CSTs to STPs, population coverage was maximized at an efficient cost and with minimal disruption. In addition to this, an extensive sanitation program relying on the provision of regular septic tank maintenance or desludging was implemented to cater to non-sewered areas. To further expand sewer service coverage, Manila Water is now piloting combined sewer-drainage systems. Upgrade of CSTs. At the onset, the CSTs turned over to Manila Water did not operate efficiently, desludging was infrequent and in some cases the tank access manholes were covered and built over with housing structures. The operation and maintenance of the CSTs was hampered further by accessibility problems due to ownership issues. This led to the takeover and proliferation of informal settlers and/or claimants to the land occupied by these facilities. The presence of the informal settlers on the CST sites posed a serious threat to the health of these residents. Moreover, without regular desludging, these facilities were rendered useless in the primary treatment of sewage. Eventually, when the sludge accumulation reached the maximum level, wastewater enters and leaves the CST with no treatment at all, thus polluting the waterways receiving the effluent. The immediate need to address these issues was also one of the key considerations in the upgrade of CSTs. Implementation of this initiative was made possible in resolving the ownership issues amongst the National Housing Authority (NHA), local government units (LGUs), MWSS and Manila Water. Project Development and Implementation. The MSSP was a World Bank loan amounting to $36.1 M provided in 1996 to MWSS. A key component of the MSSP focused on the rehabilitation and upgrade of existing sewerage systems including the Makati South STP and strengthening of the capacity for sewer maintenance. Crucial changes in the MSSP Loan Agreement paved the way for the inclusion of the MSSP Community Sanitation Projects, a component dedicated to the upgrade of CSTs into localized and decentralized STPs. Existing communal septic tanks were advantageous because they allowed for the utilization of pre-existing MWSS assets and minimal sewer pipe laying. By early 2002, Manila Water conducted consultations with several densely populated communities having CSTs. The consultations were held to assess public interest of the different communities on having package treatment plants. Subsequently, by the end of 2005, 28 STPs were operational. Manila Waters sewage treatment capacity then grew from 40 MLD to 80 MLD. In addition, sewer coverage also rose to 10% in 2005 compared to the 3% in 1997.

Figure 2. Sewerage Coverage upon completion of CST Upgrade under MSSP Following the success of MSSP, Manila Water implemented the MTSP in 2005 aided by a $64 M loan from World Bank. Through the MTSP, Manila Water embarked on larger systems using the same decentralized approach. Some existing CSTs were converted to sewage pumping stations that transported collected sewage to a centrally-located CST which, in turn, was transformed into a mini-regional STP. Such an example is the East Avenue STP located near the National Ecology Center, which treats flows discharging to the old Rimas, Anonas, Mapagmahal and East Avenue CSTs. By 2011, there are already a total of 38 treatment facilities including two septage treatment plants (SpTPs), totalling to a treatment capacity of 135 MLD Operations Performance. Most of the CSTs turned over by MWSS are now operating activated sludge STPs. For the compliance performance assessment of these facilities, external monitoring is done by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and its sub-agency, Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), while a more stringent internal monitoring system is also in place. Despite some initial operational challenges, Manila Waters wastewater facilities remained compliant with DENR/LLDA standards for wastewater effluent. Similarly, regulatory requirements of the MWSS Regulatory Office in terms of wastewater treatment have also been consistently complied with. Manila Water also initiated an Integrated Management System consistent with OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 for pilot STPs to demonstrate its drive for environmental, health and safety excellence.

Figure 3. Manila Water bagged 12 awards, the most number given to any company at the 2010 LLDA Public Disclosure Program and Awarding Ceremonies of Industries Environmental Performance These efforts to improve and expand wastewater services in the East Zone of Metro Manila are aligned with the Philippine Clean Water Acts (CWA) objectives of protecting our water resources from further degradation. In fact, in 2010, the Company effectively removed 2,735 tons of BOD, which would have otherwise added to the pollution of Metro Manilas water bodies. Septage Management. Aside from the sewerage strategy, there is also the sanitation program. This sanitation program revolves around the concept of septage management. Septic tanks provide primary treatment by reducing the solid content of the discharge. Though primary treatment is done, the effluent is still not in compliance with DENR standards. This primary treatment capability of septic tanks is further reduced if regular maintenance is not performed. Thus, Manila Water devised a strategy to maintain household septic tanks through septage management. This service is mainly catered to households that are not connected to a sewage treatment plant. Septage management is accomplished through the desludging of septic tanks by vacuum tankers every 5-7 years. This desludging program is carried out in coordination with barangays to facilitate efficient service to Manila Water customers (Sustainability Report 2008).

Figure 4. Septic Tank Emptying and Septage Management Presently, there are over 78 Manila Water desludging trucks compared to the inherited 1 vacuum tanker in 1997. These desludging tankers transport household septage to the 2 septage treatment facilities, FTI and San Mateo SpTPs. Both facilities were completed in 2007 through the MTSP. These two facilities are the biggest in the region in terms of treatment capacity having treated septage from a massive 852,848 households in the East Zone of Metro Manila.

900,000 800,000
826,870

852,848

Number of Households

700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 2007 2008 2009 Year 2010 2011
105,109 293,375 584,844

Figure 5. Cumulative number of households desludged Pilot-testing of Combined Systems. Currently, under the MSTP, Manila Water is implementing a third strategy in sewage management and this is the Combined Sewer-Drainage System. This system will capture the wastewater coming from existing drainage systems, thereby minimizing the laying of large sewer pipes (Sustainability Report 2008).

Figure 6. Combined Sewer-Drainage System In 2009, 2 pilot combined sewer-drainage treatment plants were completed: Pineda STP and Olandes STP, having capacities of 4 MLD and 10 MLD, respectively. Lessons learned from the development of these two systems will be utilized to refine and optimize future implementation of combined sewer-drainage systems. As pilot systems, both facilities experienced early operational issues. Design modification and innovations arrested these issues. In fact, Olandes STP received global recognition from the International Water Associations 2010 Asia Pacific Regional Project Innovation Award with an Honor Award for Small Projects because of its state-of-the-art design. Since Olandes STP is located in a flood-prone area, the STP was designed accordingly.

Figure 7. Olandes Sewage Treatment Plant The upgrade of CSTs and pilot of combined systems implemented under MSSP and MTSP respectively are only initial steps towards the companys long term goal of more widespread sewer coverage. Manila Water plans to embark on covering 100% of the expansive catchment areas of the Marikina, San Juan and Pasig Rivers using combined sewer-drainage systems. In coordination with MWSS, the company is working on the approval of this master plan. Through this approach, Manila Water intends to achieve a successful river rehabilitation model that can be emulated in other similar regions (Sustainability Report, 2007). Ultimately, the entire service area is still planned to have 100% sewer coverage in terms of actual connection to sewer systems. Given the fact that separate conventional sewer systems is still the best sustainable solution in terms of wastewater management, Manila Water will work towards the phased installation of sewer lines and eventual conversion of combined sewer-drainage systems into separate systems.

Figure 8. Sewerage Expansion Plan for the East Zone

CHALLENGES In the fourteen years since the start of the Concession Agreement, Manila Waters provision of sewerage and sanitation services in the East Zone encountered numerous challenges, summarized into 5 major categories: a.) Land Availability, b.) Stakeholder Endorsement, c.) Cooperation with

Government Agencies, d.) Social Acceptability and lastly e.) Operational Challenges. Land Availability Land availability is one of the major challenges in building treatment facilities. Treatment plants and lift stations require large areas of land. Unfortunately, Metro Manila is the most populated metropolis in the country. Large available open spaces are scarce, and what minimal available land is typically inhabited by informal settlers. Also, identified sites are typically unavailable due to prioritization of residential and commercial developments. Depending upon the exact location, the cost for land could take up a large percentage of the total project cost. Land acquisition henceforth is difficult due to both the access to large available land and the financial implications of purchasing the identified land. Consequently, the ideal model is to acquire land through donation from government units and agencies. Consistent with this approach, the Clean Water Act states that local government units are mandated to allocate land for wastewater facilities. In this regard, the assistance of the national government and local government agencies is a critical factor in acquiring land. Usufruct agreements were successful in gaining new land for current projects; hence, are a continuing strategy being pursued to acquire adequate land for future projects as well. Stakeholder Endorsement Endorsement from respective communities and local government units (LGUs) is a key factor in either the success or failure of a project. Public consultations were conducted during the project development wherein all involved parties were invited, especially the residents of the community. When endorsement is obtained from these stakeholders, procuring permits and right-of-way grants for the treatment facilitys construction and operations is made more efficient. Subsequently, the risk of delays due to resident complaints can be minimized. Alternatively, without proper endorsement, project implementation deadlines may not be met. Other risks include frequent changes in local government administration, miscommunication between stakeholders regarding project objectives and the general negative perception of wastewater facilities. Cooperation with Government Agencies Another challenge encountered is the cooperation of different agencies. In the Clean Water Act, there are 3 national agencies that are mandated to have direct involvement in sewer management and these are: a.) DENR, b.) Department of Health (DOH) and c.) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). With the use of the Combined Sewer-Drainage Systems, close coordination with LGUs, DPWH and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is vital. Solid waste easily clogs sewer networks and drainage systems. Subsequently, solid waste also accumulates quickly in STPs and poses operational concerns. Since LGUs have the greatest impact on solid waste management, close coordination with these entities, combined with public awareness campaigns on proper waste disposal, need to be accomplished. Aside from LGUs, other agencies closely coordinated with include NHA, Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC). The housing agencies capability to allot land for future partnerships is vital for existing and future projects on wastewater services to push through. For instance, 9 package treatment plants located in Karangalan Village in Cainta, Rizal and Pasig City were completed through the partnership with NHA. Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with NHA were executed for easements on the parcels of land owned by the said agency to install the decentralized STPs. These treatment plants were commissioned and have been operational since 2005. Social Acceptability

According to the Concession Agreement, all investment cost for service improvement projects will be recovered through tariff using rate rebasing exercises. The tariff is composed of the basic water tariff with an additional sewer charge for customers in sewered areas. The issue on social acceptability arises from the unwillingness of customers to pay for additional fees for better sewerage and sanitation service. This stems from an apparent lack of awareness regarding the benefits of these services to human health and the environment. In relation to this, affordability studies indicate that average incremental cost for sewerage is too high compared to what the customers are willing to pay. Therefore, in order to provide these services a comprehensive tariff structure needs to be applied that combines potable water delivery with adequate wastewater treatment and disposal. This is justified by the end benefits of the project, which is shared by all and not just the community served by the treatment facility. This approach allows more expedient project implementation to address the pollution of the rivers. In addition to appropriate tariff setting, initiatives must be applied to further educate customers on the need for sewerage and sanitation services. For instance, Manila Water has institutionalized a Water Trail Program referred to as LAKBAYAN where students, guests and representatives from LGUs and non-government organizations partake in an information awareness campaign on the treatment of water and wastewater. In 2010, Manila Water conducted Lakbayan tours and plant visits were 3000 stakeholders participated. Operational Challenges Due to the limited number of facilities and infrastructure at the onset of wastewater operations in 1997, there was consequently a lack of personnel with extensive experience in wastewater management. To address this need, Manila Water employed a cross-functional training program to assimilate international practices and enhance institutional expertise. On-site operational personnel were given the tools and training to become the ultimate custodians of their assigned facilities. These personnel with no previous background on sewerage services and limited technical knowledge have developed into capable wastewater treatment plant operators. Among the skills developed are basic wastewater characterization and analysis, process troubleshooting and the implementation of innovative techniques to increase operational efficiency. Several of these personnel have been consistently nominated and at several instances won the Huwarang Manggagawa (Model Employee) Award, the highest recognition given to a staff-level employee of Manila Water. This strategy has been a cornerstone of Manila Waters wastewater operations.

Figure 9. Winners of Huwarang Manggagawa (Model Employee) Award: Alberto Ramirez (4th from L to R) and Ernesto Labanza (5th from L to R) are operators from the Wastewater Department

Apart from limited operational expertise, other initial difficulties encountered were limited land allocations, network control, utilization of STPs, rigidity of operation and monitoring. These difficulties were addressed via succinct risk-based planning. Testing and commissioning strategies were continually improved and all parties were immersed throughout project planning and development.

CONCLUSION Since 1997, Manila Water has exerted efforts in providing wastewater services in the East Zone of Metro Manila. All these were accomplished through three main strategies, namely: upgrading CSTs, septage management and combined sewer-drainage systems. All three strategies were selected based on maximizing immediate benefits to customers in the most cost-effective and feasible manner. Throughout project development, major factors have been identified as inhibiting the implementation of sewerage and sanitation projects. These include a.) land availability, b.) stakeholder endorsement, c.) cooperation with government agencies, d.) social acceptability and e.) operational challenges. Challenges were addressed by an integrated approach considering proper coordination with concerned parties and appropriate consideration of customer needs. Given the past challenges experienced by Manila Water, it is apparent that the successful provision of sewerage services can only be accomplished with the full support of government organizations and the general public. This integrated approach will undoubtedly guarantee a rapid solution to sustaining our rivers for future generations.

REFERENCES Manila Water Company Inc. Sustaining Generations. 2009 Sustainability Report. Manila Water Company Inc. 2008 Sustainability Report. Manila Water Company Inc. 2007 Sustainability Report. Manila Water Company Inc. Rate Rebasing Report, 2007. Manila Water Company Inc. Feasibility Study for the Manila Third Sewerage Project. Final Report by Nippon Jogesuido Sekkei Co., Ltd in association with CEST, INC. and Mott MacDonald Co., Ltd, 2004. Manila Water Company Inc. Regional Environmental Assessment for Manila Third Sewerage Project. Manila Water Company Inc. Master Plan Final Report. December, 2004. Manila Water Company Inc. website. "Manila Water Company: Investor http://www.manilawater.com/section.php?section_id=6&category_id=35&article_id=7 Guide".

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