By Yas D. Ocampo
Davao City – The Davao City Water District (DCWD) and the city government are nearing the establishment of a septage treatment plant here.
This, after the city council approved at the committee level a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the DCWD and the city government that will implement a septage management program.
The proposal was approved on second reading at last week’s regular session.
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio had sought the permission of the city council to sign on behalf of the city a proposal for the septage management program.
According to a copy of the draft resolution, a majority of the city’s 1.7 million population use septic tanks as a way of providing partial treatment of septage and sludge.
However, these did not include homes that have “direct” access to bodies of water for the organic waste in their homes.
“Sludge is being disposed without proper treatment due to nonexistence of appropriate treatment facility that caters to this need,” the committee on environment said in its initial report.
“Thus, the waste is being discharged directly to the drainage canals, creeks, and other bodies of water.”
The proposal also includes the completed feasibility studies on the project, as well as the legal opinion of the City Legal Office.