LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The municipal government will be partnering with the La Trinidad Water District (LTWD) for the put up of a P69 million sewerage treatment plant in the municipality to help in treating the waste water being discharged by residential and commercial establishments before being allowed to flow to the various river systems.
However, Mayor Romeo K. Salda claimed that the area where the sewerage treatment plat will be constructed is within the property of the State-run Benguet State University (BSU) that is why the local government and the LTWD will make the necessary representation with the board of Regents of the higher education institution to allow the facility to be constructed in a 2,000-square meter lot situated in its land holdings.
“ We are keeping out fingers crossed that the Board of Regents of the higher education institution will grant our request for the use of a portion of its land holdings for the put up of our own sewerage treatment plant that will effectively address the prevailing problem on the treatment of waste water being directly discharged by residential and commercial establishments to the different river systems in the municipality,” Mayor Salda stressed.
The local chief executive underscored that the put up of a number of small sewage treatment plants along major river systems in the municipality is one of the priority projects of the local government in the coming years to allow the treatment of waste water being discharged by the increasing number of residential and commercial establishments so as not to pollute the bodies of water to prevent the same from exceeding the volume of pollutants and improve the quality of water in the said river systems.
According to him, funds for the put up of the proposed sewerage treatment plant will be jointly shouldered by the local government and the LTWD although some funds could also be accessed from concerned government agencies once the land where the facility will be constructed will be made available by the institution.
He disclosed that the local government and the LTWD will continue to explore other sites where it will be possible for both parties to put up the required sewerage treatment plants that will subsequently treat the waste water being discharged by residential and commercial establishments to help in cleaning the water that will flow to the different bodies of water in the locality.
Mayor Salda stated that the put up of the sewerage treatment plant will help in convincing owners of residential and commercial buildings to construct their own septic tanks or directly connect to the town’s sewerage treatment plant for the treatment of their waste water before being discharged to the different bodies of water in the locality.
He explained that considering the rapid growth in the town’s population due to migration from neighboring rural areas, there is a need for the local government and concerned government agencies to implement the appropriate projects that will ensure the sustainable preservation and protection of the good state of the environment which will be the one that will be passed on to future generation of inhabitants for them to be able to enjoy the blessings of nature to humans.
La Trinidad remains to be the most developed municipality in Benguet considering its proximity to Baguio’ City, one of the primate tourist destinations in the country.
By HENT
