The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has kick-started an eco-toilet system in an effort to mitigate pollution in areas of Central Luzon facing Manila Bay.
The system was developed by Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region 3 to lessen potential contamination of river systems and coastal areas from E. coli, officials said.
According to DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno Jr., sources of E. coli include untreated human sewage, failing septic tanks, livestock agriculture, pets, wildlife, and illegal connections from home sewer systems to surface water.
The newly-introduced facility built at Sibul II Mangrove Nursery and Eco-Tourism Park in Orion town in Bataan promotes the use of a waterless toilet or a dry toilet system as an alternative to water-flushed toilets.
“Through this initiative, the volume of pollutants draining to water bodies along the Manila Bay area may be reduced, which will eventually help us in achieving the coliform limit of 200 MPN/100mL for Class C water classification,” Moreno said.
The concept of the first waterless toilet facility in the region supports DENR’s endeavor to integrate biotechnology as a powerful solution to address environmental concerns and mitigate effects of climate change.
