Initial Situation The Philippines is a country of more than 7,000 islands with generally sufficient fresh water resources.

But within the last years these resources are increasingly threatened, mainly due to pollution. The fresh water supply is provided through groundwater, rivers and lakes. On small islands the fresh water supply is limited to fresh water lenses under the islands and through rainwater. Improved water supply, rapid population growth and expanding economic development have led to an enormous raise of fresh water consumption. In some regions of the country, even non-replenishable water resources have already been exploited and exhausted. The situation is getting worse through extensive water pollution. In general, more than 90 % of sewage is not disposed of correctly or treated in an environmentally sound manner. Most of the existing wastewater treatment facilities are inadequate, and more than 25 % of the population has no access to any sanitation services. This is also the main source of waterborne diseases, like diarrhea, helminth infections and dermatitis (skin inflammation). On the other hand, the necessary legislative basis already exists. The Clean Water Act obliges the communities to undertake sewage collection and treatment to protect water resources. But most municipalities do not have sufficient funds for the construction as well as for the operation and maintenance of conventional centralized treatment systems. They need affordable alternatives, to cope with the challenge to provide environmentally friendly, financially viable and sustainable wastewater treatment facilities. Decentralized treatment facilities and on-site sanitation systems are such alternative concepts. Appropriate Solution Alternative: Constructed Wetland Constructed wetlands are one option for sustainable wastewater treatment. They use natural processes for cleaning the wastewater. This technology has been effectively applied in Western countries for decades and in recent years also in Southeast Asia. Constructed wetlands are man-made, engineered systems that remove organic pollutants and nutrients from wastewater through filtering it by soil and plants with the help of microorganisms. In general, constructed wetlands can be divided into 3 different types: Free Water Surface (FWS), Horizontal Sub-surface Flow (HSSF) and Vertical Sub-surface Flow (VSSF). The latter two types have the advantage that the wastewater flows beneath the filter surface, thus the risk of pathogen exposure and mosquito breeding is minimized. This product sheet will focus on the two sub-surface flow types. Sub-surface flow systems are composed of a basin that is sealed with impermeable material such as clay, plastic liner or concrete. It is filled with filter media (soil, sand or gravel) and covered with plants. A feeder system, drainage pipes and an outlet for the waste water are essential parts of the system. As plant material reeds, cattails and rushes can be used, preferable local species (for example Tambo, also called Phragmites). The cleaned wastewater can be re-used, e.g. for irrigation or toilet flushing. This will reduce the demand for fresh water and therefore the exploitation of the water resources. Advantages Constructed wetlands are a nature-close environmentally friendly treatment method. In sub-surface flow systems there will be no problems with smell or mosquito breeding because there is no open water table. In addition, a constructed wetland can be nicely integrated into the landscape. Construction costs can be reduced through using locally available materials. Costs for operation and maintenance are extremely low and affect mainly pumping (if waste water transport cannot be done by gravity). The daily operation and maintenance procedures require only simple technical skills and the necessary knowledge can be easily obtained through training. Application is recommended especially for rural and suburban areas. In urban areas the space needed might be a limiting factor (design parameter: m2 per person as an average in tropical countries).

Example City of Bayawan, Negros Oriental: The first constructed wetland in the Philippines for domestic waste water

The City of Bayawan is located in the southwest of the Province of Negros Oriental (Visayas) and is composed of 28 barangays. It has a total land area of approx. 70,000 hectares, more of 80 % are defined as rural. Due to the construction of a new coastal road, an informal settlement of fisher families in barangay Villareal had to be relocated. Together with the NGO Gawad Kalinga the city started a social housing project. On an area of 7,4 hectares 704 housing units and social infrastructure (health center, multi-purpose hall etc.) are being built for the fishermen and their families. Following the provisions of the Clean Water Act and the cities objectives, the project should be in line For more information, please contact: Mayor German P. Saraa, Jr. City of Bayawan, Negros Oriental

with environmental protection and conservation. Therefore it was decided to construct a wastewater treatment facility for the new village. The LGU built a treatment system with clustered threechamber septic tanks and a two-cell constructed wetland. The wetland is composed of a vertical flow and a horizontal flow soil filter, planted with the local variety of Tambo (Phragmites karca). The treated water is re-used for construction, irrigation and firefighting. The treatment facility covers an area of approx. 3,000 square meters. The estimated costs are about 10,000,000 PhP (higher than average costs for such a facility due to the topographic conditions). The wetland is financed by the city administration through a loan. The GTZ Water and Sanitation Program supported the project with technical assistance in planning, design, construction monitoring, social preparation and trainings. The Bayawan Constructed Wetland is the first system of this kind for the treatment of municipal sewage in the Philippines. The city plans two more facilities for the public market and the new bus terminal.

More information: Info-Sheet Frequently Asked Questions Constructed Wetlands: A sustainable option for wastewater treatment in the Philippines (available on www.watsansolid.org.ph) Philippine Sanitation Sourcebook and Decision Aid (available on www.watsansolid.org.ph)

Tel.: Web:

+63 (035) 531 0020 to 21 www.bayawancity.gov.ph

Engr. Hanns-Bernd Kuchta DILG-GTZ Water and Sanitation Program 5th Floor, Francisco Gold Condominium II, EDSA corner Mapagmahal Street, Q.C.

Tel.: +63 2 927 1875; +63 2 927 1884 Email: gtzwater@info.com.ph Web: www.watsansolid.org.ph ; www.gtz.de