The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) led the inauguration of the Libertad Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Pasay City, intended to boost capability to mitigate water pollution that will further improve the water quality of Manila Bay.
A result of a fruitful collaboration among MMDA, DENR, and the Philippine Reclamation Authority, the Libertad STP will treat wastewater from the Tripa de Gallina, which has been discharging wastewater into the Libertad Channel and draining into Manila Bay, said MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Don Artes.
“In an effort to rehabilitate Manila Bay, we shall collaborate regularly to make sure we succeed in our mission,” Artes stressed during the inauguration rites.
The Libertad STP can treat 10 million liters of wastewater per day and has a catchment area of 779 hectares. The treated wastewater will be used for watering plants and for the water supply of firetrucks in Pasay City.
MMDA will be in-charge of the maintenance and operations of the treatment plant, which is similar to the first STP located in Manila, equipped with a solar panel system to reduce maintenance and electricity costs.
“The MMDA ensures to put all its efforts into maintaining and operating the STP similar to the first fully-operational solar-powered STP along Roxas Boulevard in Manila.”
“The MMDA ensures to put all its efforts into maintaining and operating the STP similar to the first fully-operational solar-powered STP along Roxas Boulevard in Manila,” he added.
With the continued rehabilitation works in Manila Bay, including the operation of the Baywalk STP, data from the DENR has shown that there is a significant improvement in water quality, as shown by the gradual decline in fecal coliform levels.
“I am happy to share with you that the said STP which had an influent of 170 million mpn/100ml last December 2022, was able to have an effluent of 2 mpn/100ml which is within the fecal coliform standard of 100mpn/100ml,” said Atty. Jonas Leones, DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs, representing DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga.
The establishment of STP and wastewater interceptor at Libertad Outfall is one of the projects listed in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that the DENR and MMDA entered into in March 2021 to implement the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program, which aims to lower the level of fecal coliform at the bay.
“We hope to develop other facilities in other regions of Manila Bay to efficiently treat wastewater.”
“This will surely not be the last STP we are having as the establishment of this infrastructure in other areas covered by Manila Bay has already been put into plan this year. We hope to develop other facilities in other regions of Manila Bay to efficiently treat wastewater and, eventually, avoid unfavorable health risks to residents and aquatic ecosystems,” he concluded.
