Baguio wastewater treatment facility to ease water pollution

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city government is preparing site for decentralized wastewater treatment facility at Lower Rock Quarry here to ease water pollution.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan ordered the conduct of a relocation survey of the city’s lot at the said barangay intended for a decentralized treatment facility to treat wastewater coming from the surrounding barangays.

 The mayor formed a survey team composed of Engrs. Luis Ortencio of the city assessor’s office, Gerald Sannad of the city buildings and architecture office and Edward Magalgalit of the city engineering office and planning and tinning inspector Edmund Budong of the city environment and parks management office to undertake the survey.

The mayor said the lot was unanimously chosen during a meeting conducted last Sept. 30 by Wastewaste Ambient Management Division chief Engr. Moises Lozano with the heads of the 15 barangays affected.

“It was unanimously agreed that the City’s lot … near the sinkhole shall be the site identified for the decentralized treatment facility.  It was further agreed the lot identified needs a relocation survey as essential document for further processing with various national and city government offices for the eventual implementation of the project,” the mayor said.

The mayor said the establishment of smaller water treatment facility is being prioritized by the city government to address areas not being served by the Baguio Sewer Treatment Plant (BSTP) in North Sanitary Camp.

The new facility will serve areas such as barangays Palma, City Camp, Kayang Ext. and others to avoid dislodge of wastewater to the city’s creeks and ultimately to the river system causing pollution.

In his order, the mayor gave the survey team 15 days to conduct the survey. 

The mayor earlier also ordered the CBAO to ensure that high rise buildings required to provide their own sewer treatment facilities are complying with the requirement.

The mayor asked the CBAO to submit a summary of the buildings which were required to install their own sewer treatment plants (STPs) and to monitor if these facilities are indeed functioning.

City planning and development officer Evelyn Cayat said the city started imposing the STP requirement in the issuance of building and occupancy permits for high rise structures two years ago.

This was among the steps taken by the city government to address the saturated condition of the city’s own STP at Sanitary Camp.

The STP built in 1986 has now been operating beyond its rated capacity of 8,600-cubic meter since 2011.