Domestic  Wastewater Management in 

Domestic Wastewater Management in

Mega Manila: Partnership in Action

LLeonor C. Cleofas
C Cl f
Deputy Administrator
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System

Securing the Future Today

The MWSS Privatization
 On August 01, 1997, the operation of Metro 
Manila’s waterworks and sewerage system 
was privatized under a Concession 
Agreement for 25 years.  
 The entire service area was divided into east 
and west service areas with specific targets 
for water supply, sewerage & sanitation. 
Assets still belong to MWSS.

Objectives
 Transfer  financial burden to  the private 
sector
 Improve service standards
 Increase operational efficiency
 Minimize tariff impact

1
 MWSS Service Area

As of December 2010
West Zone East Zone
Maynilad Manila Water

Land Area
540 1,400
(sq. km.)

17 cities/ 23 cities/
Service Area
Municipalities Municipalities

Total
8.40 M 6.80 M
Population

Population
7.40 M 5.90 M
Served
• The world’s largest water
Raw Water
concession arrangement Allocation
All ti
2,400 mld 1,600 mld

covering 1,940 sq. km and % Water

Supply 88% 87%
serving 15.8 million people Coverage
(2011)
% Sewerage
8% 23%
Coverage

Securing the Future Today

Outline
 Conditions Prior to PPP

 Evolution of Service Coverage
g

 Strategies

 Addressing Challenges

 Progress

2
 Outline
 Conditions Prior to PPP

 Evolution of Service Coverage
g

 Strategies

 Addressing Challenges

 Progress

1997 Situation
Angat <8% Sewer Coverage
Dam

La Mesa
Dam

Minimal Septage Treatment
San Juan
River

Marikina
River
 No septage treatment plant and no 
approved sludge disposal site

Manila
Bay
Pasig
River

Laguna Lake

3
 Outline
 Conditions Prior to PPP

 Evolution of Service Coverage
g

 Strategies

 Addressing Challenges

 Progress

Water Supply Coverage

20000
Population ‘000

15000
10000
5000
0
1997 2011

20000 20000
Population ‘000
Population ‘‘000

15000
10000
10000
5000
0
0 1997 2011
1997 2011
Sewer Coverage Septage Management Coverage

4
Outline
 Conditions Prior to PPP

 Evolution of Service Coverage
g

 Strategies

 Addressing Challenges

 Progress

The Approach
1997 Concession Agreement Vision:
Centralized STPs and Dedicated Sewer Systems

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

D t li d U d f E i ti CST
Decentralized Upgrade of Existing CSTs
Septage Management
Combined Sewer‐Drainage Systems

10

5
 Key Strategies

Upgrade of Communal  Septage  Combined Sewer‐

Septic Tanks (CSTs) Management Drainage System
 Convert existing CSTs to 
g  For
 SSeptic Tank Desludging
ti T k D l d i For areas served by 
areas served by
decentralized STPs individual septic tanks and 
every 3‐5 years
 Utilize pre‐existing 
 Septic tank sludge sent to  with no existing sewer 
dedicated (separate) sewer  network
treatment facilities
networks

11

Key Strategies

Upgrade of Communal  Septage  Combined Sewer‐

Septic Tanks (CSTs) Management Drainage System
 Convert existing CSTs to 
g  For
 SSeptic Tank Desludging
ti T k D l d i areas served by
For areas served by 
decentralized STPs individual septic tanks and 
every 3‐5 years
 Utilize pre‐existing 
 Septic tank sludge sent to  with no existing sewer 
dedicated (separate) sewer  network
treatment facilities
networks

12

6
Communal Septic Tank Issues
 Operational Inefficiency

 Lack of maintenance

 Outlets not working

 Illegal structures built on top

13

Communal Septic Tanks

14

7
 Community STPs

15

Key Strategies

Upgrade of Communal  Septage  Combined Sewer‐

Septic Tanks (CSTs) Management Drainage System
 Convert existing CSTs to 
g  For
 FFree Septic Tank Desludging
S ti T k D l d i areas served by
For areas served by 
decentralized STPs individual septic tanks and 
every 3‐5 years
 Utilize pre‐existing 
 Septic tank sludge sent to  with no existing sewer 
dedicated (separate) sewer  network
treatment facilities
networks

16

8
 Septage Management

17

Key Strategies

Upgrade of Communal  Septage  Combined Sewer‐

Septic Tanks (CSTs) Management Drainage System
 Convert existing CSTs to 
g  For
 FFree Septic Tank Desludging
S ti T k D l d i areas served by
For areas served by 
decentralized STPs individual septic tanks and 
every 3‐5 years
 Utilize pre‐existing 
 Septic tank sludge sent to  with no existing sewer 
dedicated (separate) sewer  network
treatment facilities
networks

18

9
Combined Sewer‐Drainage Systems

19

Outline
 Conditions Prior to PPP

 Evolution of Service Coverage
g

 Strategies

 Addressing Challenges

 Progress

20

10
 Main Challenges
 Land Availability
 Stakeholder Endorsement
 p g
Cooperation with Government Agencies
 Social Acceptability
 Operational Challenges

21

Land Availability

 Scarcity of large available spaces
Scarcit of lar e a ailable spaces

 High cost of land

 Feasible locations for STPs mostly occupied by 
informal settlers or privately owned

22

11
 Challenges

● Solid Waste & Drainage Maintenance
♦ Drainage
Drainage systems are clogged with solid wastes 
systems are clogged with solid wastes
♦ Indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes in canals, 
creeks, river systems
♦ Wastewater utility should not be the solid waste 
manager
Technology Options that will give a smaller 
footprints

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Challenges
● MWSS/Concessionaires need to comply with the Clean Water Act and to 
comply with the decision of the Supreme Court in the clean up and 
rehabilitation of Manila Bay

♦ Concessionaires shall implement the MWSS Master Plan to broaden

and fast track the sewerage and sanitation services

♦ Implementation of a combined system for areas where separate system

is not doable

♦ Due to land constraints, different technology options are being

considered that will result in a smaller footprints

♦ Coordinated advocacies and policies towards behavioral changes on

dumping of solid wastes

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12
 Outline
 Conditions Prior to PPP

 Evolution of Service Coverage
g

 Strategies

 Addressing Challenges

 Progress

25

Wastewater Facility Overview

YEAR 1997 2011

Sewage 
Treatment  4 41
Pl t
Plants
Capacity 53,150 CMD 585,994 CMD

Septage
Management  0 3
Facilities
Capacity 0 1,951 CMD

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13
 Scaling Up
Sanitation and Sewerage
• The 25 year Concession Agreement was extended by another 15 years (to 2037) 
with the condition to accelerate and double the investment for sewerage and 
sanitation and to support the development of new water sources.
2018 2037

14% 30% 66% 100%

30% 45% 63% 100%

2008‐2012 2013‐2016 2017‐2021 2022‐2037 TOTAL

Maynilad US$ 113 M US$ 411 M US$ 604 M US$ 622 M US$ 1.75 B
Manila Water US$ 295 M US$ 680 M US$ 164 M US$ 481 M US$ 1.62 B

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SALAMAT
THANK YOU

28

14
Stakeholder Endorsement

Public Consultations
Public Consultations Support from LGUs and 
Support from LGUs and
other stakeholders

29

Social Acceptability

 Low willingness to Pay • Comprehensive Tariff Structure

 Lack of Public Information and  • Strengthen Media Relationships
Awareness

30

15
Operational Challenges
 Lack of expertise

Cross‐functional 
Cross‐ Testing and 
TTraining Program
i i P Commissioning 
Commissioning
Strategies

31

Accomplishment: Septage
Accomplishment:  Septage Management

900,000  Households Served 852,848 

800,000  826,870 
700,000  722,608 
722 608

600,000 
500,000 
455,413 
400,000 
300,000  267,178 
200,000 
162,069 
100,000  70,181 
107,811 
4,380  16,016  36,600 
36 600
‐ 95  601  1,133  1,796 

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

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16
 38 Sewage
Treatment Plants
135 million liters
capacity

IMPROVED SEWER 
COVERAGE
 Largest sewerage operator in the Philippines
Lar est se era e operator in the Philippines

 Operates the most number of STPs with the 
biggest treatment capacity

33

IMPROVED SANITATION / 
SEPTAGE MANAGEMENT 
COVERAGE
 The leading septage management system in the region

34

17
Combined Systems
 First combined system 
 Built under a basketball court

Pineda STP

4 MLD

35

Combined Systems
 Awarded for its  state‐of‐the‐art flood mitigating design integrated 
with a community park
Olandes STP

10 MLD

REGIONAL WINNER
REGIONAL WINNER
Project Innovation Awards
Singapore
June 2010

36

18
Combined Systems
 STP on stilts built on a flood control lagoon

Poblacion STP

11 MLD

37

Wastewater Expansion: The 3‐River Master Plan
 100% Sewer Coverage for the Marikina,  Rodriguez
San Juan, Pasig River Catchment (2018)
San Mateo

 Will treat over 1 billion liters dailyy of  Quezon City

Marikina
wastewater Marikina River
San Juan River
Catchment Catchment
 Estimated Investment of PhP 50 Billion
San Juan

 Still subject to refinement and MWSS‐RO  Pasig
Approval Makati
Taguig
Pasig River
Catchment

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