By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — East Zone concessionaire Manila Water is encouraging its customers to begin the year 2024 right by availing the desludging services it offered at no additional cost.
For January 2024, Manila Water’s desludging caravan will go around Barangays Amihan, Malaya, Socorro, and Vasra in Quezon City; Barangays Sta. Cruz, Bambang and Bagong Katipunan in Pasig City; Barangays Rizal and South Cembo in Makati City; Barangays 773, 774, 777, 785 and 810 in the City of Manila; and Barangays Barangka Ibaba and Namayan in Mandaluyong City.
The water firm’s desludging trucks will also be available in Barangay Cupang in Antipolo City, Rizal.
As the country is also celebrating the National Zero Waste Month every January, Manila Water is reiterating its call for customers to participate in environmental action through the regular siphoning of their septic tanks.
“Per the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, ‘zero waste’ is an advocacy that promotes designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, and to conserve and recover all resources, and not indiscriminately dispose or burn them,” Jeric Sevilla, Manila Water Corporate Communication Affairs Group Director, said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 27).
“By availing Manila Water’s desludging service, our customers are assured that the septage collected undergoes proper treatment thereby avoiding pollution of receiving water bodies. Through a variety of mechanisms and processes, the wastewater collected across the concession area is hauled and treated at the Company’s two septage treatment plants in San Mateo, Rizal and Taguig,” Sevilla added.
Effluent produced from these treatment plants is regularly tested to ensure it passes the “Class C” category of Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) effluent standards, which is considered safe for recreational water activities and marine life.
Customers of the water company were advised to coordinate with their respective barangay councils for the schedule or call the Manila Water Consumer Help Desk 1627.