Firm fined for polluting lake, river tributaries

Manila Water Company Inc. on Wednesday said it is being fined for alleged failure to meet regulations on wastewater management.

Jhoel P. Raquedan, legal and corporate governance head, made a disclosure to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. and the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp.

“The Company received a Notice of Violation from the Laguna Lake Development Authority (“LLDA”) dated 7 January 2010 imposing a penalty of ‘One Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00)per day of discharging pollutive wastewater to be computed from 18 November 2009, the date of initial inspection until full cessation (of the prohibited release),’” he said, adding that legal documents and courses of action were being prepared.

The filing was made before SEC director Justina Callangan, PSE disclosure head Janet Encarnacion and PDEC president and chief operating officer Cesar Crisol.

Despite the pending case, the firm is embarking on the Three-River System cleanup for the San Juan, Marikina and Pasig waterways.

The 10-year program would need P50 billion to bankroll a masterplan for wastewater collection and treatment.

The Marikina portion is a catchment that will use interceptors along banks to serve Rodriguez and San Mateo in Rizal, sections of Antipolo and Quezon City.

By tidying upstream, the firm said outflow to Pasig would improve the quality of water reaching Manila Bay.

Manila Water said a plant with a 10-million liter capacity would start in the first quarter in Industrial Valley followed by two other facilities rated for 120 million liters per day before yearend.

The firm said its $300,000 feasibility study would be sourced from the Asian Development Bank on a grant leading to the Pasig Catchment portion.

By 2018, the Three-River System is expected to accomplish full cleanup coverage.

Last year then Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza sued for P29.4 million the Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System along with its two concessionaires for non-compliance” with the Clean Water Act.

He said the firms have failed to set up wastewater treatment facilities five years despite the law’s effectivity in May 2004.

Manila Water has the east zone while counterpart Maynilad Water Services Inc. covers the west zone with MWSS as regulator.

The environment agency’s pollution adjudication board said the utilities should have interconnected sewage lines for wastewater treatment and disposal. –Manila Standard Today