EA in sanitation and sewerage in metro Manila

SEA for Sanitation & sewerage in Metro Manila, Philippines Manila Third Sewerage project Why an SEA? To assess if the proposed investment of the East concession area integrates with the overall investment strategy and EMPs Concession agreements specifying sewerage and sanitation targets Paucity of wastewater management systems Disjointed regional planning & socio-economic pressures Sewage mgt. issues Social – public health & consciousness, economic losses Legal/political – public & private investments Technical – dense built up areas, limited open spaces, disruption on local economies Environmental – water quality & land contamination: pathogens, persistent pollutants, solid & liquid wastes Financial – water rates Metro Manila Situation Land area – 636 km2 Population – 10 million 17 cities, 5 municipalities < 8% of population sewered 85% population relies on individual septic tanks, poorly designed and improperly maintained 30% sewage undergoes some form of treatment Physical characteristics Regional sub-basins: – 4 main river systems – heavily polluted – 2 large water bodies – Manila Bay & Laguna Lake – heavily polluted Topography – 68% flat, remaning is 3-8% slope Vulnerable to flooding due to: – Subsidence from over-extraction of groundwater – Accretion of waterways – Clogged drains due to uncollected solid wastes Land use – 75% built up, 15% open land, others are pasturelands, grasslands SEA documents Regional Environmental Assessment Environmental Impact Statement – Septage/sludge disposal in lahar areas – Bio-solids management study Environmental and Social Assessment Framework Land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation policy Resettlement Action Plan REA objectives There is a need for a long-term integrated support to sewerage management investment programs and projects in the Metro Manila area, and the various interventions pose both on- and off-site interrelated environmental problems and benefits, and These environmental impacts are regional in scale and a regional assessment is needed in addition to the site and project component specific assessments Regional Environmental Assessment Definition of the study area with sanitation and sewerage as the focus • • • • Major river systems Hydrodynamics in these systems particularly tidal limits Political and land devt. Boundaries for both concession areas Institutional arrangements, such as MWSS and DENR coverage Environmental baseline conditions of the whole Region and proposed investment sites Regional Environmental Assessment Description of Devt. Alternatives – 1996 WSS Master Plan study vis-à-vis Concession Agreement – MTSP project Cumulative Impact Assessment – – – – total BOD reduction water quality impact health cost effectiveness Regional Envtl. Mgt. System REA Scope Regional characteristics Wastewater management component • • • • Water catchments Sewer or drainage catchments Administrative boundaries Geo-political constraints Sludge and septage management REA components Regional characteristics – – – – – – – Sub-basins Topography Land use Surface water flow regimes, groundwater Vulnerability to Flooding Sources of pollution Population REA components Environmental baseline – – – – – Water quality Aquatic ecology Terrestrial ecology Air quality, noise Socio-economics • • • • Population, density, land area Health Income Economy REA components Existing water, sanitation, sewerage and septage management facilities Policy and Institutional framework Wastewater management alternatives – REA components Manila Third Sewerage Framework – Project devt. • Land availability • Applicable concepts • Social acceptability – Concessionaire Sewerage and Sanitation obligations • 1997 Master Plan Study • MWCI First Wastewater Strategy Plan, 2000 – Experience from ongoing projects – Rate rebasing REA components Manila Third Sewerage Framework – Specific implementation difficulties • • • • • Land availability and costs Community and Traffic Disruptions Enforcing Sewerage connections Tariffs External Factors REA components Manila Third Sewerage Framework – Selection Criteria and Methodology • • • • Availability and land criteria Catchment area selection Health and environmental impact Financial and economic considerations Overview of the Mla. Third Sewerage Proj. (MTSP) MTSP Development objectives : (a) increase the coverage and effectiveness of sewerage service delivery in participating areas of Metro Manila through an integrated approach involving septage management, sewage management, & heightened consumer awareness of water pollution problems & their solutions; and, (b) establish the financial and technical viability of new approaches for sewage management in MM. MTSP Project components, east concession area: Sewage Management include construction of 10 sewage treatment plants (STPs), upgrading of two communal septic tanks to secondary treatment, rehabilitation and construction of collection networks; Septage Management component include vehicles for pumping-out septage from septic tanks (fecal tankers), two septage treatment plants (SPTPs) and safe disposal of treated septage; and Technical Assistance component include (a) specialized consulting services during implementation, (b) a public information campaign on the benefits of sewerage and sanitation, and (c) assistance in preparation of follow-up programs for wastewater and sanitation improvements.