By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — East Zone concessionaire Manila Water has released the schedule of its free monthly desludging caravan for February.
“To ensure that the septage or collected wastewater is properly treated, we continue to encourage our customers to avail of Manila Water’s desludging services to ensure that the effluent to be released back to water bodies passes the standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Manila Water is currently operating two (2) septage treatment plants, one in Taguig City and the other in San Mateo, Rizal, that receive and treat the hauled septage before discharging into water bodies through environmentally safe means,” Manila Water Corporate Communications Affairs Group Director Jeric Sevilla said.
“We can also prolong the life of our household septic tanks through regular desludging every 5-7 years. If the septage accumulates for too long, the solids might clog drains and overflow and may potentially contaminate the water supply at home. These poses harm not only to sanitation but to the health and safety of our customers,” Sevilla added.
Residential customers from Barangays Botocan, Malaya, Socorro, and Vasra in Quezon City; Sta. Cruz and Bambang in Pasig City; Bagong Silang and Harapin ang Bukas in Mandaluyong City; Rizal in Makati City; and Cupang in Antipolo City may coordinate with their respective barangay councils or call the Manila Water Consumer Help Desk 1627 for the exact desludging schedule in their community.
As part of environmental sustainability and regulatory compliance, Manila Water is offering desludging services to its customers at no additional cost.
Customers were encouraged to avail of the free service, as septic tanks only provide initial wastewater treatment.
From January to November 2023, Manila Water has emptied a total of 103,511 septic tanks in the East Zone service area.