Water quality worsening — ADB

WATER quality in the Philippines is worsening due to rapid urbanization, according to a study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Only about 33 percent of river systems are classified as suitable public water supply sources, and up to 58 percent of groundwater is contaminated, according to the country report on the Philippines in the ADB’s Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) 2007.

Water availability in the Philippines will be unsatisfactory in eight of the 19 major river basins and in most major cities before 2025, the report adds.

The depletion of groundwater resources is an increasing problem in Metro Manila and Cebu, according to the report, adding that the ability of groundwater to meet future demand is also very limited, amounting to only 20 percent of the total water requirement of the country’s nine main urban centers by 2025.

“Water quality is poorest in urban areas, the main sources of pollution being untreated discharges of industrial and municipal wastewater,” says the study.

Read the Philippines country report of the AWDO 2007.

Although groundwater resources are generally abundant, the report says that over-abstraction and poor environmental management of extractive resource industries such as mining and forestry has polluted downstream water courses and aquifers, caused siltation, and lowered water tables.

In addition, water pollution, wasteful and inefficient use of water, saltwater intrusion, high non-revenue water levels due to leaks and illegal connections, and denudation of forest cover, are placing major strains on water resources. “Combined with growing population pressures, it is becoming more difficult to provide basic water services,” says the study.

With more than two million people being added to the country’s urban population every year, rapid urbanization is having a major impact in water resources.

The ADB study says that less than four percent of Manila’s population is connected to the sewer network, with many high-income households constructing their own facilities. Flush toilets connected to septic tanks are widely used, and often serve large housing developments “However, sludge treatment and disposal facilities are rare, resulting in indiscriminate disposal of untreated or poorly treated effluent into the Pasig River, one of the world’s most polluted rivers.”

Of the 457 water bodies classified by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), only 51 percent meet the 1996 water quality standards. Sixteen rivers are considered biologically dead during dry months.

Domestic waste is responsible for 48 percent of pollutants. Thirty-seven percent comes from agricultural waste, while 15 percent comes from industrial waste. Metro Manila is estimated to generate 5,345 tons of solid waste per day. This is expected to double by 2010, but right now, only 65 to 75 percent is collected and a measly 13 percent is recycled.

Meanwhile, 700 industrial establishments in the Philippines generate about 273,000 tons of hazardous waste annually, yet the country has no integrated treatment facility to deal with it, although there are around 95 small to medium-scale facilities. Due to the the lack of proper treatment and landfill facilities, about 50,000 tons of hazardous waste is stored on or off-site.

A 1998 Japan International Cooperation Agency study cited by the ADB report predicts that in the absence of an effective water resources management program being put in place, the country’s water resources would be at a critical stage by 2025.

The environmental group Greenpeace has also recently warned of an impending water crisis, documenting water contamination in Benguet and Bulacan.

Even before 2025 comes to pass, the country will need to improve its performance in attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which are set for the year 2015. It is off-track on three of its four goals. Urban water coverage even decreased from 95 percent in 1990 to 87 percent in 2004. Both rural water and rural sanitation are off-track, but are expected to be on target by 2015. Urban sanitation meanwhile, is on track.

The DENR’s water quality management section has not yet read the report, which says that the government recognizes that water resource management needs to be a top priority, and is focusing its efforts through the agency and the National Water Resources Board. However, it needs to address constraints such as under-funding and the slow promulgation of environmental legislation, including the Water Resources Management Act and the creation of a National Environmental Management Authority. Other concerns include the insufficient enforcement of existing legislation, and the weak and legal regulatory framework for environmental impact assessments.

The report recommends as well that the Philippines increase annual water sector investments about ten-fold around P40 billion or at least one percent of gross domestic product to meet MDG and legislative commitments. It must also focus on tariff reform, increased wastewater treatment capacity, increased coverage of water sector services, greater water conservation, and effective implementation of the Clean Water Act.