Officials raise alarm over Tacloban relocation sites waste water pollution

TACLOBAN CITY, March 15 (PNA) -- Concerns have been raised on the highly polluted water waste at the city’s northern relocation sites, discharging to rich fishing ground of San Juanico Strait.

Citing laboratory tests, city health officer Joedina Gumagay said density of coliform from a waste water sample collected from drainage near relocation sites is 1,000 more than the acceptable level.

“The increased human activities due to mass relocation of families has been contributing to pollution due to poor waste water management. This endangers public health and subsequently harms the whole ecosystem,” Gumagay said.

Aside from poor waste water management, another factor tagged as major contributor to high density of coliform is the substandard toilets built by contractors of the National Housing Authority (NHA).

International non-government organization Oxfam reported that the level of total fecal coliform and E. Coli in one kilometer radius of the major sewage outlet in San Juanico Strait is 70.24 most probable number (MPM) per 100 milliliter of seawater and 320.45 MPM, respectively.

The figure, according to Oxfam, is already at “threshold levels.” The polluted area is expected to expand once all of the 12,518 badly-hit families move to northern relocation sites in the next few months.

As of this week, at least 1,290 families are now in resettlement areas with 820 in permanent houses and 470 in transitional shelters. The government eyes to relocate hundreds of families in summer.

Oxfam projected that a “25 fold increase in the number of households in the per capita water allocation, will heavily pollute about three kilometers radius of San Juanico Strait from the major sewage outlet.”

“Northern Tacloban is poised for large-scale development and a potential environment crisis. Plans are going ahead to house 75,000 people and unless appropriate water waste management treatment are sources are put in place, public health and many livelihoods, including fisheries, will suffer,” said Tom Skitt, team leader of Oxfam’s water, sanitation and hygiene program.

On Tuesday, officials from the government, private sector, and non government organizations tackled waste water management issues and proposed solutions.

Tacloban City administrator Jenny Lyn Manibay said the local government has been pushing for establishment of waste water treatment facilities for resettlement sites, public market and slaughter house.

Recently, the city government, in partnership with United States Agency for International Development completed its first septage treatment facility that would treat waste from individual household’s septic tanks through lime stabilization.

Initially, the facility will prioritize septage in temporary shelters since their septic tanks are in substandard sizes.

“What we really want is a centralized treatment facility to ensure that all waste from different sources is treated before it drains to the sea,” Manibay said.

The official admitted that there is too much focus on basic needs of super typhoon Yolanda survivors that authorities have not foreseen this potential environmental crisis.

“The problem on waste water is something that we do not see since the focus is on housing and livelihood, but we have to address this,” Manibay added.

Oxfam warned that San Juanico Strait will be highly polluted in the future if no mechanisms are in place to manage waste water. Consequently, the area will not be anymore viable to fishing and even tourism activities.

San Juanico Strait, crossed by the famous San Juanico Bridge is a narrow strait that separates Leyte and Samar islands. It is about 38 kilometres long, and at its narrowest point, the strait is only two kilometers wide. (PNA)

LAP/SARWELL Q. MENIANO