The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) will operate the facility and will also contribute more than P200 million for the project.
In a press release on March 14, 2023, the government-owned utility provider announced that the new septage treatment facility will be constructed on a property owned by the Cebu City Government in the North Reclamation Area. There is an existing septage treatment facility in the area and MCWD is in the process of procuring new equipment to upgrade the plant in compliance with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ standards.
The agreement between the Philippine government and Jica was signed on Feb. 27, 2023, and construction will begin as soon as Jica can select a construction firm and award the contract.
MCWD will spend its counterpart funds on site development and customs duties and taxes for the equipment arriving from Japan.
The new STP will expand MCWD’s septage collection and treatment program, and is an effort to address the shortage of wastewater management facilities in Cebu.
MCWD already operates an existing STP in Cordova, which has been in operation since 2016.
The lack of STPs in Cebu has forced private desludgers to dispose of waste into the sea or rivers, contaminating water sources.
MCWD stated that if wastewater is left untreated, it poses a negative impact on health and sanitation.
Azukizawa Eigo, chief representative of Jica, said during the signing ceremony that the project aims to address the shortage of wastewater management facilities in Cebu.
The existing STP can accommodate only up to 120 cubic meters of sludge daily.
However, when the new treatment facility, which can process up to 430 cubic meters of sludge per day, becomes operational, the plant’s capacity will increase up to 550 cubic meters daily.
Jica will provide 35 vacuum trucks and four dump trucks for the project, which will increase the water district’s septage collection rate for MCWD consumers from 8.1 percent now to 100 percent.