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Domestic Wastewater Management in in

Mega Manila: Public-Private Partnership

WEPA International Workshop18-20 February 2013

Siem Reap, Cambodia

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)

Provides water supply and wastewater requirements of approximately 15 million people in the National Capital Region

Metro Manila

National Capital Region including the Provinces of Cavite and Rizal

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The Situation in 1997

3% of Population Connected to 

Sewerage Systems

85% of Homes Using Only Septic Tanks

58% of Pollution Contributed by

Domestic Sources

35% 35% reside in informal "slum" "slum" ttl tttl t ith i

Sanitation Condition

settlementssettlements with improper sanitation facilities 

Wastewater continues to discharge to rivers, more than half of which come from households

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River Condition

Major bodies of water in Metro Manila are consideredbiologically dead or unsuitable to marine life

1997 Regulatory Reform “PPP”

CONCESSION 

Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)

NATIONAL WATER CRISIS ACT

Expand service CONCESSION AGREEMENT

coverage Improve service 

delivery Increase operating 

efficiency Transfer financial 

burden to private sector

25 years cooperation period

15 years term extension

Assets still belong to MWSS

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Metropolitan Waterworks & Sewerage System

Board of Trustees

The Regulatory Environment

Department of Environment & 

Natural Resources (DENR)

Pollution Control

d d

REGULATORY OFFICE Department of Health (DOH)

Drinking Water Quality

Tariff, Service

Standards

Standards Quality

Concessionaires

The Approach

1997 Concession Agreement Vision:1997 Concession Agreement Vision:Centralized STPs and Dedicated Sewer SystemsCentralized STPs and Dedicated Sewer Systems

Huge Investment = Higher Tariff Significant Construction Impact Customer Resistance (Water as a Priority) Difficulty in Securing Land

Decentralized Upgrade of Existing Communal Septic TanksSeptage Management

Combined Sewer‐Drainage Systems

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Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

In areas where there are nosewerage systems, water utilitiesmay adopt a sanitationimprovement program that willregularly remove septage toincrease the performance ofseptic tanksseptic tanks

Mandate to Fast Track Sewer Plans

Strong pressure on the two water concessionaires/Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System….to fast‐track the construction of the sewerage system

Their responsibility to provide sewerage 

system… becomes urgent and 

extremely necessary…

…there is a need to accelerate the provision of sewerage 

systems

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Concession Agreement Term Extension

Reasons for Extension

15 years term extension 2037

Accelerate sewerage/sanitation coverage•Appropriate technology, materials, and design standards •Optimum costs•Minimum impact•Aligned with environmental protection and regulatory mandates

Support MWSS on the development of long term water sources

Mitigate tariff impact on consumers

Key Strategies

Upgrade of Communal  Septage  Combined Sewer‐Septic Tanks (CSTs) Management Drainage System

Convert existing CSTs to decentralized STPsOptimize connections to existing separate sewer system

Septic tanks desludging in the cycle of 5‐7 yearsSludge treatment to septage treatment plants

For areas served by individual septic tanksUse of drainage systemLaying of interceptors

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SEWERAGE AND SANITATION 100% 2037

THE GOAL

Opportunities and Challenges

Strong Public‐Private PartnershipsStrong Public Private Partnerships

Strong Regulatory Framework

Stakeholder Management

Flexibility, Innovations, Best Practices

Tariff Implications and Quality Service

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