The Clean

Water Act
(RA 9275)
and Local
Government
Units (LGUs)

LUZON SANITATION SUMMIT

“08
Association of Metro Manila (NWRC, 1976)
Environment Officers (AMMEO)
 OUTLINE

• Gen. water quality and WQ of Luzon

rivers
• CWA
• Role of LGUs under the CWA
- Water Quality Management Areas
(WQMAs) and their Governing Boards
 STATUS - WATER QUALITY

 Gen. causes of water pollution are i)

Domestic (≅ 50%); Agricultural
(>35%) and Industrial (15%)
wastewaters

 About 58% of the tested groundwater

wells sampled are contaminated with
coliform and needs treatment. About
18% fail TDS criteria of 500 mg/L.

 Approx 31% of illnesses are water-

borne 2003 WB
Philippine
 STATUS - WATER QUALITY

 Low Annual Investments for

Sewerage and Sanitation (SAS) -
(1.5B PhP (3%); while bulk of
investments for water supply – 43.7B
PhP (97%).
 Many areas experience shortages of
water supply in the dry season
 Economic losses amount to 67 B PhP;
(3 B health; 17 B fisheries production
and 47 B tourism)
 Four WQ critical regions (i) Central
2003 WB Philippine
Environment
Luzon; ii) Southern Tagalog ; (iii)
Monitor
 WQ Status – Rivers

DO BOD
Rivers No. % No. %
Passing Passing
Classified 107 80.7 83 81.5
Unclassifi 35 83.6 19 89.4
ed
Total / 142 81.6 102 82.0
Ave. %

NOTE: DO-Supply of aquatic oxygen (O2); BOD- Demand for aquatic

View of Station 1 Bonifacio Bridge
(Marikina River)
 Degraded Rivers (Luzon) in dry
months, 2006
 Balili River (CAR)  Marikina River
 Dagupan River (NCR)
(R1)  NMTT River (NCR)
 Marilao River (R3)  San Juan River
 Bocaue River (R3) (NCR)
 Meycauayan River  Parañaque River
(R3) (NCR)
 Imus River (R4)  Pasig River (NCR)
 Ylang-Ylang
Fourteen (14)River  Panique
of nineteen (19)River
priority
(R4) Rivers are in(R5)
Luzon
The
Philippine
Clean
Water Act
of 2004 -
(RA 9275)
Chronology:
2002-2004 –
Works/ Result of 3
Congresses
2004 - CWA
(NWRC, 1976)
enacted
 CWA COVERAGE

 General Application - Water

quality management in all water
bodies
 Primary Application - abatement
& control of pollution from land
based sources
 Enforcement of WQ standards,
regulations and penalties –
irrespective of source of
 CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK
Integrated Water  Joint Oversight
Quality Congressional
Improvement. Committee
 Natl. Septage/
Framework Sewerage Mgt.
Water WQMAAP WQMAAP  Classification/
Quality Reclassification
Mgt. Area  Groundwater
Action Vulnerability Mapping
Plan  WQ Guidelines/
(WQMAAP Criteria
)  Effluent Standards
LGU LGU CP LGU CP  Categorization of
Complian Industry
ce Plan  Wastewater Charge
(CP) System

Water Quality Management
Area (WQMA) – Sec. 5

An area covering appropriate

physiographic units, such as
watersheds, river basins, or water
resource regions – having similar
hydrological, hydro-geological,
meteorological or geographic
conditions which affect the physico-
chemical and biological reactions
and diffusion of pollutants in the
 WATER QUALITY
MANAGEMENT AREA (WQMA) -
Sec.5
→Composed of LGUs w/ similar geographic,
meteorological, conditions, etc.; OR
→LGUs w/ common interest or development
programs, projects, or problems
→Governed by Governing Board (composed of
LGUs, NGAs, civil society, water/utility & business
sector) w/ Technical Secretariat
→Laguna Lake under LLDA as one WQMA
LLDA
Area –
One
WQMA
(RA
9275) (NWRC, 1976)
 TIGUM-
AGANAN
WATERSHED
(DAOCity
Mun./ 2006-18)
No. of
Brgys.
1 Alimodian 51
2 Maasin 49
3 Sta. Barbara 50

WATER RESOURCES REGION VI 4 Pavia 18

5 San Miguel 24
6 Cabatuan 68
7 Leon 9
8 Oton 17
Proposed Watershed
MMO WQMA boundary of
Marilao River
Sta Maria
SJDM

Marilao
Caloocan
Meycauayan

Bounded by
line from end
of road to
SJDM
Obando
Boundary
Valenzuela

Bounded by
Boundary Road
w/ Navotas
 Proposed MMO WQMA

1. WQMA Designated Name

– Meycauayan-Marilao-Obando River
Systems WQMA (based on NWRB
recommendation)

2. River Systems
– Meycauayan River
– Marilao River
– Obando River (empties into Manila Bay)
– Tributaries of the 3 rivers which are within
the WQMA boundary
 WQMA Geo-Political Extent
Provincial Government of Bulacan
 City Governments of:
o Meycauayan
o San Jose Del Monte
o Valenzuela
o Caloocan (LLDA)
 Municipal Governments of:
o Marilao
o Obando
o Sta. Maria
WQMA Governing Board –
Sec. 5
→Appointed national and local government
representatives (1 permanent & 1
alternate) (As authorized)
→Nominated representatives from
accredited civil society, water utility and
private business sectors in OR w/
recognized interests in the WQMA
through sectoral assemblies (max: 3
years term)
→WQMA GB members to serve without
compensation
 GB Functions – Sec.5/Rule5.4
→Prepare & publish WQ Status reports
→Formulate strategies to coordinate policies,
regulations, local legislation necessary for CWA
implementation
→Consolidate, review & approve LGU compliance
plans AND develop/ review WQMA Action Plan
→Monitor and facilitate LGU compliance to WQMA
Action Plan
→Coordinate relevant activities among WQMA
members for resolution of conflicts
→Undertake complementary interventions for
non-point pollution sources
 Role of LGUs (Sec. 20)

→Be responsible for WQ within their

jurisdictions; As such, LGUS shall prepare a
compliance scheme subject to review &
approval of the GB;
→Through their ENROs, LGUs shall
- Monitor WQ
- Implement emergency response
- Comply with the WQMA Action Plan
- Actively participate in GB & all WQM
activities
- Coordinate with All sectors to implement
WQM
 Oversight – sec 33
- Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to
monitor implementation and review the
implementing rules and regulations (IRR)
- Composed of 5 Senators and 5
Representatives, as appointed by Senate
President and House Speaker, respectively
- Co-chaired by Chairpersons of Senate Comm.
on Environment and the House Comm. on
Ecology
INSTITUTIONAL LINKAGES
LGUs
Congressional Oversight Committee
PCG
LLDA
DOH
Civil Society DENR DPWH

LLDA WQMA BoardWQMA Board

WQMA Board

LGUs LGUs LGUs

 Area Water Quality
Management Fund (AWQMF) –
Sec. 10

→To be sourced from the variable or

load-based fee under the CWA
Wastewater Charge system and
donations, endowments and grants
for WQ management in area.
→Funds to be managed by the GB in
corresponding area.
 AREA WATER QUALITY
MGMT. FUND

Fines before Donations,

CWA (rural areas) Wastewater Endowments,
Discharge fees Grants

Purpose:
To maintain, upkeep water bodies
To finance wastewater facilities
(establish & repair)
Operational expenses of GB (10%)
Provide technical assistance, info,
National Sewerage & Septage
Management Program – Sec. 7

→A priority listing of sewerage, septage and

combined systems/projects for LGUs
→LGUs may enter into BOT or joint venture
agreement w/ private sector for
constructing, rehabilitating and/or
operation of such facilities
→Each LGU shall appropriate land, including
right-of-way/ road access, for constructing
sewage and septage treatment facilities.
 Domestic Sewage Collection,
Treatment & Disposal – Sec. 8
→W/in 5 years concerned water, sewerage and
sanitation (WSS) agencies/ concessionaires in
coordination w/ LGUs, shall connect subdivisions,
condominiums, malls, hotels, public buildings, etc.
in highly urbanized cities (HUCs) shall connect their
sewage lines to available systems or utilize their
own sewerage system
→For non-HUCs, septage or combined sewerage-
septage management systems to be employed
→Said connection subject to service charges/fees
→DOH to prepare appropriate guidelines
Tapos na po
tayo . . . Maraming
Salamat Po!
 MARAMING SALAMAT PO !

Tel. 927 1517; 920 2273 or web site:

www.emb.gov.ph