National Sewerage and Septage Management Program

NSSMP: Intro and Background

Clean Water Act requires DPWH to develop

NSSMP to promote septage and sewerage
infrastructure for the urban cores of cities
and municipalities.

NSSMP is part of the National Sustainable

Sanitation Plan (NSSP), a broader plan
covering the full spectrum of sanitation
issues faced by LGUs.

More than 90% of the sewage generated

nationwide is not treated properly

About 28 million Filipinos (33% of population)

do not have sanitary toilets

Many septic tanks are improperly designed

with open bottom (leaching) contaminating
groundwater

When septic tanks are desludged, septage

usually dumped illegally with no treatment

Most effluent from closed bottom septic

tanks are not collected or treated

Less than 10% of the population have access

to piped sewerage systems

About 85% of the people in MM use septic

tanks

Economic losses exceeding Php78 billion per

year (health, fisheries, tourism, increases cost
of safe drinking water)

More than 55 deaths per day

Domestic waste is largest source of organic

pollution (48%) compared to agricultural
(37%) and industrial (15%)

Up to 58% of groundwater sampled is

contaminated with coli form and needs
treatment

Loss of dignity for those practicing open

defecation, security of women

Damage to ecosystems and biodiversity

High costs coupled with a lack of space for

sewerage systems and treatment

Low level of awareness by government and

citizens, low demand for services

Low capacity to develop and implement

infrastructure and promotion campaigns

Overall lack of enforcement

No dedicated national budget, not included in

LGUs comprehensive land use plans, priority
projects, Key Result Areas, budgets

Two national sanitation summits held,

growing awareness among government

MWSS privatization of water supply and

sanitation services in Metro Manila. Both
concessionaries increasing sewerage and
septage management.

LGU-water district/utility partnership in

Marikina City, Dumaguete City and Alabel in
Sarangani

Low-cost treatment plants in 5 public

markets, 2 Gawad Kalinga sites, several
hospitals, many sanitation plans developed

NATIONAL SEWERAGE AND SEPTAGE

MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Goal:
Goal Improve water quality and public health
in urban areas of the Philippines
Objectives:
Objectives
Enhance the ability of local
implementers
to
build
and
operate
wastewater treatment systems for urban
centers and promote the behavior change and
enabling environment needed for systems to
be effective and sustainable

Scope

The NSSMP targets local implementers (LGUs, water

districts, small scale water providers)

Where Water Quality Management Areas (WQMAs)

exist, LGUs and WDs can develop their programs
within the WQMA plan and also request funding from
the WQM Fund

Focusing on septage and sewerage but includes some

information on the other sanitation interventions

Programs to address open defecation, provisions of

toilets will be included in other parts of the National
Sustainable Sanitation Plan

60 LGUs have developed local sanitation plans

76 septage and sewerage projects have been

built by LGUs or Water Districts

9,877,000 people living in urban areas have

access to improved sanitation (sewerage and
septage treatment facilities)

Php13.4 billion has been spent on sanitation

improvement projects

National:

Nationwide training and promotions campaign to

roll out NSSMP

Detailed Guide with tools for local implementers

(Annex to NSSMP)

Information office in DPWH

National
counterpart
DENR/DOH/DPWH

funding

from

Local:

Use
NSSMP
Guide
to
undertake
a
stakeholder-driven,
bottom-up
planning
process to develop infrastructure supported
by effective promotion campaigns, policies,
enforcement and user fees

P
O
L
I
C
Y

NEDA INFRACOM
Sub-committee on Water
Resources

NSSMP Committee

NSSMP
Implementation
Focal Point

NSSMP
Office

Regulatory
Framework:
DENR
DOH
DILG

(DPWH)

Project
Facilitators

MWSS

LWUA

RDC,
Province

DPWH
(with DENR/DILG)

Mainly sewerage/
intercepter projects

Local
Implementers

Metro Manila
concessionaires

Water
Districts

LGU cluster or
regionally important
projects

City or Municipality
or cluster of LGUs in a
WQMA

DOH
Centers for Health
Devt.
Mainly septage
projects

Private
Service
Providers

MARAMING
SALAMAT PO !