CITY GOVERNMENT OF DUMAGUETERepublic of the Philippines

SEPTAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Presentation Outline

Program Identification and Formulation

Legislative Measures

Permits and Clearances

Institutional Agreements with Program Partners

IEC on sanitation and Social Marketing

Septage Treatment Technology

Sharing of Septage “user fee”

Capital and Operating Costs

Lessons Learned

• First LGU-financed, city-wide septic tank maintenance program in the Philippines

• Will achieve full cost recovery in about 5 years through “user fees”

• Partnership between city government and water utility company (50-50 sharing of capital and operating costs)

• Low-cost, low-maintenance septage treatment facility

• Lesson learned useful for others in the Philippines and other countries and being shared with many visitors.

Successful Septage Management System

Assessment of Situation

1. Source of Water Supply – 16 deep wells

2. Absence of sanitary sewerage system.

3. 20,000 inappropriately constructed and maintained septic tanks.

4. Deteriorating quality of surface waters.

Issues and Concerns

1. High risk of contaminating groundwater.

2. Increasing urbanization and demand for clean water.

Programs and Projects to Address

Issues

1. City-wide septage management system

2. Construction of decentralized wastewater treatment systems

Project History2004- Dumaguete City was selected as one of four pilot cities to receive technical assistance from the USAID LINAW (Local Initiatives for Affordable Wastewater Treatment)

Legal Basis

Enforceable

Sustainable

Economically and Technically

Feasible

Project History

Septage Management System, Res. No. 141, Ord. No. 18, April 6, 2006

Public Hearing on the Proposed Septage

Management Ordinance,Dec. 5, 2005

Proper design, construction and maintenance of

septic tanks

Payment of septage “user fee” to recover capital

and operating costs

Regular desludging

of septic tanks

Information campaign on the

septage management

ordinance

Treatment of septage prior to

disposal

Creation of a septage

management body

Features of City Septage Management Ordinance

Social Marketing of Septage Management

Ordinance

2007- 2008

• Obtained Environmental Compliance Certificate from DENR and DOH Clearance• City prepared engineering details and started construction of septage treatment plant by

administration under the supervision of the City Planning and Devt. Office with technical assistance from USAID/LINAW project.

• Conducted massive campaign on sanitation and wastewater management• Constructed public market wastewater treatment plant using city funds with technical assistance

from BORDA

June 2009

City government invited the Dumaguete City Water District to a joint venture on the city’s septage management system;City entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Dumaguete City Water District with the following salient provisions:1. Equal sharing of capital and operating costs and any future income between City Government

and Water District.2. Water District will collect and transport septage to treatment plant.3. DCWD wiil collect septage “user fees” as add-on to monthly water bill.4. DCWD will maintain financial records.5. City government will operate and maintain septage treatment plant.

Project History (continued)

May2010

1. Completed construction of septage treatment plant2. Bought six used desludging vacuum trucks3. Started operation of treatment facility and collection of septage fees.4. Sustained information and social marketing campaigns including news feeds, posters, fliers, workshops and consultations with tri-media.

Project History (continued)

IEC with Market Vendors and Barangay Officials

Responding to Host Barangay’s health concerns on the

proposed septage treatment plant.

Dumaguete Septage Treatment Plant(Construction Phase – Dec. 2008 to May – June 2010)

Inauguration, April 22, 2010

Maturation Ponds

Anaerobic Ponds

Facultative Pond

33 Days

Septage Treatment Process Flow

Dried Sludge – component of fertilizers/soil conditioner

Factors enabling the treatment of septage 1. Time – Detention Period2. Temperature3. Microorganisms4. Algae5. Sunlight6. Plants

Sludge drying bed

Sludge

Planted Gravel Filter

Wetland

Ground (dry creek)

WetlandSludge

Desludging and Treatment Operations from May 2010 – March 31, 2012

Source No. of Establishments Volume of Septage collected, cu.m.

Residences(Estimated total number of households = 25,000)

5450 20634

Commercial Establishments 709 4588

City and Provincial Govt. Offices, Other LGUs 355 3424

Public Schools 43 517

Others (private schools, churches, NGOs, LGU) 154 1363

Total 6711 30526

Septage Treatment Plant Efficiency: Influent BOD = 1000 mg/l – 3,000 mg/l Effluent BOD = 2 mg/l – 4mg/lConstruction Cost of Septage Treatment Plant = P20,000,000.Cost of Seven Desludging Vacuum Trucks = P 6,000,000.Estimated Septage User Fees Collected Per Month: 450,000 cu.m/per month x P2.00/cu.m = P900,000.

Commercial Desludgers

(Collection Only with No Treatment)

Septage Management Ordinance

Res. No. 141, Ordinance No. 18 Series of 2006April 6, 2006

a. Residences – P3,000.00 to P10,000.00/trip

b. Commercial - + P10,000.00/trip

Ave. monthly household water consumption = 15 cu.m.

Septage user fee of 2.00/cu.m = P360/year

Total User Fee in 3 to 5 years = P1,080 to P1,800.

(US$25 to US$42)

The city’s septage fee for collection and treatment is less compared to desludging fees of commercial

desludgers.

Comparison Between Commercial Desludging Fees and City “User Fees”

Sharing of Septage “User Fee”

Sharing of Income Between City Govt. and Water District:

Gross Income:

Less: 1) O&M

2) Barangay Assistance Fund for Host Barangay

3) Reserve/Contingency

Net Income = Gross – (1+2+3)

City Govt Share = 50% of Net IncomeWater District Share = 50% of Net Income

Project Staff: Drivers and aides – (7 trucks x 3 laborers/truck) = 21 Mechanic – 1; Welder - 1 Septage Treatment Plant staff = 5

Capital and Operating Costs

Major Expense 2009 Capital expense

2010Operating expense

2011Capital and operating expense

Construction of septage treatment plant, access roads, dikes, vacuum trucks, etc.

P22,000,000 P3,000,000.00 P8,000,000.00

Dumaguete Septage Management Project Flow

Activity 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

MOA with USAID/PADCO on LINAW project.               

Orientation on natl laws, directives, ordinances etc. on wastewater mgt.                

Analysis of local situation - wastewater sources and characteristics.

               

Learning wastewater mgt practices of other countries and the Philippines.

               

Setting wastewater mgt priorities, technical and financial options.               

Identifying solutions/interventions; drafting and enactment of septage management ordinance.                

Complying with requirements of DENR and DOH regulations on septage mgt. (DENR ECC and DOH Sanitation Clearance).

               

December 2008 -Started construction of septage treatment facility.             

 

Information and education campaign on sanitation and septage management.

               

Start operating treatment facility and collecting septage “user fee”               

Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Plant

Public Market Wastewater Treatment Plant Dumaguete City

Anaerobic Baffle Reactor

Settling Tanks

Anaerobic Filter

Planted Gravel Filter

Gravel Filter(planted with cana)

US Ambassador Kristie KinneyVisits Public Market Wastewater Treatment Plant

June 2008

Problems and Lessons Learned

1 Inadequate training on the operation of desludging vacuum equipment resulting in major damage to vacuum trucks. Need to train septage collection crew extensively on specific vacuum truck models and not with other models.

2 Leaking of maturation and anaerobic concrete ponds (leaks started after 10 months of operation). Controlled emptying of leaking pond; sealed leaks and cleaned ponds of mud, sludge and stones;Need water pumps, flat shovels, buckets, chlorine, protective boots and gloves for cleanup operations and emergencies.

3 High volume of dried sludge composed of sand and soil from old septic tanks with unsealed floors.

4 Insufficient storage capacity of sludge drying bed. Where to take the dried sludge? Built additional sludge drying bed.

5 Hotels, restaurants and big businesses will only allow desludging late at night.• Need to coordinate desludging schedules between septage treatment staff and desludging crew.• Need to desludge hotels more often preferably every four months as septage collected have very high organic content, suspended solids and garbage which could upset the treatment plant.

Problems and Lessons Learned

6 Frogs keep jumping into facultative and maturation ponds and wetland and multiplying and cannot get out – strong odor from floating dead frogs; Completed construction of low frog walls.

7 Oil and grease in septic tanks of food outlets/restaurants/hotelsInformed owners to prevent oil and grease from getting into septic tanks Septage collection crew will not delsudge septic tanks with visible grease and garbage.

8 Some residents still not clear about the “environmental fee” on their water bills.Need to resume tri-media information campaign on the city’s septage management system with focus on “user fee” on the water bills..

9 Interest from nearby towns in disposing septage at the city treatment plant.

Need to establish desludging fees for septage coming from other LGUs city as adjoining municipalities are now aware of the city’s septage management system and their own urgent need for desludging services.

10 a. Some homeowners have visited the septage treatment plant out of curiosity and to confirm that septage is properly treated and disposed of.b. Numerous LGUs and NGOs have visited and learned about the city’s septage management system and making their plans for similar systems.

11 Form partnerships with NGOs and government agencies mandated to preserve and protect water resources;Consider financial and technical options.

Prepared by:Josephine M. Antonio

City Planning and Development OfficeDumaguete City, Philippines