NEW PLANT IN SIARGAO | The first sewage treatment technology on the island can recycle wastewater for nonpotable uses like washing dishes, flushing toilets, and watering plants. (Photo by JANE BAUTISTA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
DEL CARMEN, Surigao del Norte, Philippines — As the island of Siargao, northeast of Mindanao, begins to draw more tourists to its natural wonders, stakeholders there have come to realize the need to take care of the environment.
For starters, this municipality in Siargao had entered into a public-private partnership with JCA 1221 Holdings Inc. for the Siargao Sanitation Project, which introduced a sewage treatment plant last month.
The P27-million wastewater treatment technology is capable of treating water with fecal coliform of up to 16 million most probable number per 100 milliliters, reducing that amount to 1 mpn.
“This means that the recycled water can now be used for washing the dishes, toilet flushing, watering plants and other domestic uses,” Jehremiah Asis, president of JCA 1221 Holdings, said in an interview.
‘Acceptability’
A vacuum truck collects wastewater from the septic tanks of establishments and households and takes it to the treatment plant, which separates the solid waste, sludge, oil, and grease from the wastewater.
The sludge will undergo processing so it can be used as fertilizer. What remains of the wastewater will be directed to a tank where microorganisms like bacteria will “eat” its dirt.
The treated water will then go through a filtration process and come out “as clean as mineral water,” Asis said.
But he also pointed out the issue of “acceptability” regarding recycled water.
“If you know where the treated water came from, will you still drink it?” he said.
Even so, he remained hopeful that there would be a growing acceptance of the use of recycled water.
Asis noted that the success of the septage management program does not depend only on the treatment facility but also on the cooperation of the island’s hotels, resorts, and restaurants.
According to him, only 17 of about 2,000 establishments have so far availed themselves of the services of the treatment plant since it opened in May.
But Samuel Malayao of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources noted that the facility is still new.
“According to these establishments, there are treatment companies going to their resorts from other places, so they [still have to transport the wastewater],” said Malayao, who is assigned in Siargao as protected area superintendent.
“[But] I don’t know if there are [other] treatment plants. That’s why the LGU (local government unit) of Del Carmen is pushing for that treatment plant,” he added.
Malayao said he always endorses the new plant to other local officials on the island since the technology “can accommodate the whole of Siargao when it comes to sewage.”
‘Service’
Asis said the main objective of the Siargao Sanitation Project is public service.
“Our idea is the income [that] we make from the income-generating establishments, that will be used to subsidize, service the people in the ‘laylayan’ (margins),” he said.
“Because in truth, the waste from the poor and the waste from the rich have the same effect on the environment. That’s why we need to provide service to all of them,” Asis added.