Wastewater treatment plant up soon
ALAMINOS CITY–The One Pangasinan Alliance (OPAL), composed of seven Local Government Units (LGUs) in the First District, has received a grant from the European Commission (EC) and the German government for the construction of several artificial wetland wastewater treatment facilities.
The grant involves the construction of an artificial marsh in this city and several other towns that will treat wastewater, similar to the one undertaken by EC in Udonthani City, Thailand, according to Professor Cresencio Doma, national coordinator of the Local Government Development Foundation (LGDF.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the implementation of the project was signed last September 16 by Mayors Hernani A. Braganza of Alaminos City, John Rodney Arcinue of Sual, Marcelo Navarro of Bani, Jose Pajeta of Agno, Carlitos Reyes of Mabini, Aldrin Cerdan of Anda and Alberto Guiang Jr. of Burgos.
With the MOU, the construction of a series of ponds will soon commence, including the planting of herbs and shrubs around the ponds that could help cleanse the water.
The wetland mimicking the natural ecosystem can be used alone or integrated with other water treatment systems to improve water quality and will include the restoration and improvement of waterways.
According to Braganza, the constructed wetland model will simply use Mother Nature to improve wastewater quality at a low cost.
“We need this waste water treatment facility for sanitation purposes especially for our residents and for our tourists because our city and the towns in OPAL area are tourism sites,” Braganza pointed out.
Braganza and his fellow local officials are optimistic that the project will further develop the eco-tourism industry and sustain the economic gains among OPAL members.
It will also help protect the rivers and the Lingayen Gulf area from pollution and also preserve the many natural resources and tourist destinations in the area.
Braganza, OPAL lead convenor, said the group will serve as a pilot area for the project dubbed “Partnership for Democratic Local Governance in Southeast Asia” (Delgosea).
Delgosea is a partnership for democratic local governance in Southeast Asia and is co-funded by the EC and German Ministry for Development Cooperation.—LM
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