BEYOND supplying residents and establishments in Baguio City with fresh water, the Commission on Audit has reminded the Baguio Water District (BWD) that it also has a mandate to ensure that dirty water and septic waste do not end up directly into local bodies of water.
In a 12-page Compliance Audit report released on November 21, 2024, the COA disclosed that the water district has not established its Septage Management Program in violation of the Philippine Clean Water (RA 9275).
Auditors noted that other than RA 9275, Presidential Decree No. 198 and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order No. 2005-10 also require local water districts to “provide, maintain, and operate wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal facilities.”
The Supreme Court mandamus of 2008 likewise empowered the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) to direct water districts to construct, operate, and furnish facilities and services for the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewerage water and stormwater.
“BWD is not compliant with the requirement of establishing a Septage Management Program and operationalizing the same to accomplish the directives of various authorities, relative to sewerage services in line with ensuring water sanitation and maintenance of the standards of public health,” auditors noted.
On the other hand, the Baguio City government, on its initiative, has built a Sewerage Treatment Plant and Septage Treatment Facility entirely independent from the Water District.
The audit team said the city government’s sewerage treatment facility even provides desludging services to septic tanks that are not connected with the sewer system by tapping mobile service providers who go house to house to collect sludge and septage for delivery to the treatment plant.
“Thus far, the BWD has maintained a passive role in the operation and management of the Sewerage Treatment Plant and Septage Treatment Facility of Baguio City LGU, contrary to the expected proactive undertaking of its responsibility,” the COA pointed out.
The audit team recommended that the Water District augment the city’s efforts to collect and treat wastewater by providing its own desludging activities and other environmentally acceptable manner of septage disposal.
At the same time, it was told to spur community support and participation by conducting an information campaign on the Septage Management Program, program components, sewerage fees, and guidelines.
In its reply, the BWD acknowledged the audit observations but admitted that it does not have the resources to establish and manage its septage management program at this time. It instead offered to act as a support agency to the city government in the collection of sanitation fees.
As part of the long-term plan, it said it will review steps for a possible bill rate increase that will fund the operating and maintenance cost while mitigating contamination and pollution.