Urban wastewater are drained in the combined drainage and sewer lines and without prior treatment. This causes pollution to water bodies thus endangering people’s health and causing havoc to the environment. The prevailing issues are the following:

  • Absence of centralized sewage treatment plant – Since a centralized wastewater treatment facility is non-existent , contaminated and untreated water is discharged into waterways which eventually go into the sea. The foul smell of the some rivers in the urban areas is a distinctive symptom of an alarming level of contamination, which need to be responded to in the near future.
  • Lack of toilet facilities in the urban poor areas – The lack of toilet facilities in urban poor areas result in unmonitored discharging of contaminated water in canals which outfall into creeks and rivers, thus polluting the natural bodies of water of the city.
  • Lack of stricter mechanisms to assure acceptable water quality – Institutional mechanisms for monitoring as well as implementation of measures to improve water quality should be established especially along waterways.
  • Low awareness of the citizenry towards preservation of water quality in waterways – The citizenry should be made aware of the importance of maintaining acceptable water quality for people’s health and for the protection of the environment.
Rechanneling of Creeks going to Matanglad River

The rechanneling of the Matanglad River should be guided by a macro-study of the hydrological features of the city. The original flow path had been carved out by nature as the equilibrium path of waters. Any variation from the natural path should be studied carefully as there may be repercussions to other areas either upstream or downstream of the area. Although it is desirable to convey water as easily as possible, an increase in downstream flow volume may overwhelm some natural impoundments downstream and may cause more disastrous flooding to otherwise previously unflooded areas. Experiences , particularly those gained from the Mt. Pinatubo mudflows and flashfloods, have also shown that it would be difficult or even useless to go against the hydrologic path. It may just be inviting huge expenditures to yield miniscule solutions. Thus, any variance or departure from current flow streams should be done cautiously and be subjected to more engineering assessment.

Goals and Objectives
Goal
  • To mitigate threats to lives, properties and livelihood emanating from floods ; and
  • To protect the ecosystem and the health and welfare of the people from threats of water based contamination and pollution

Objectives
  • To work actively in support of the national government’s programs and projects of providing flood protection infrastructure in the City ;
  • To provide an efficient drainage system in low-lying areas especially in the urban areas ;
  • To provide disaster management and mitigation measures to alleviate effects of any eventual disasters that may occur;
  • To manage and maintain waterways for efficient drainage and prevention of floods;
  • To create a better sewerage system as a means to contain and treat wastewater before discharging into waterways in order to protect the environment, in general, and to preserve the city’s water sources and safeguard the health of the populace, in particular ;
  • To enjoin stakeholders to institute structural or management measures to prevent water contamination and pollution of water bodies , both ground and surface waters; and
  • To provide necessary sanitary facilities in terms of toilets to indigent residents and to promote the use of sanitary facilities for the protection of environment.

Strategies
  • Work actively in support of the national government’s programs and projects of providing flood protection infrastructure in the City;
  • Provide adequate drainage systems;
  • Provide major flood control infrastructure;
  • Engineering assessment on the possibility of rechanneling of c reeks going to Matanglad River ;
  • Coordinate with various government agencies in the maintenance of waterways;
  • Adopt a community-based watershed management program;
  • Concerted effort on the part of the population, LGU, NGOs and NGAs to mitigate environmental hazards and disasters; and
  • Come up with pre-treatment facilities of wastewater generated within the city.