THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEWAGE AND SEWERAGE

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEWAGE AND SEWERAGE

I think that many people do not know the difference between sewage and sewerage, so I decided to do some research about it. To make a long story short, sewage is the material that flows along a sewerage system, and the system is the infrastructure that enables sewage to flow. Having said that, I could now say that for the most part, very few LGUs have built their sewerage systems, and that could be partly the cause of flooding in some areas.

Strictly speaking of course, the lack of sewerage systems is not the only cause of flooding. The bigger culprit I think is the lack of drainage systems. Not that I want to focus on semantics, but again strictly speaking, rain is not the cause of floods. The real cause of floods in my opinion is the lack of drainage systems, meaning that there are no systems to drain the rainwater into the rivers, lakes, streams and seas.

Microsoft Co-Pilot defines sewage as “the actual waste water and solids that flow through the underground pipes. It’s the murky mix of human waste, industrial effluents, and whatever else we flush down the drain”. In other words, sewage is not just plain water that needs to be drained into the waterways. The final destination of sewage should not be the waterways, but rather the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) that the LGUs should have.

In many parts of the country, some LGUs have built open canals in lieu of piped underground drainage systems. That could be good enough, for as long as the water flows to the waterways, but if not, these LGUs should be held accountable for both negligence and endangering human lives. I say that because flooding causes death as we already know it.

What do we do with the LGU officials who are responsible for not building the proper drainage systems and sewage systems? Are there appropriate laws that could punish them? As I have pointed out here, these officials keep on blaming the rains as the cause of the floods, but now we know that the real cause of the floods is their failure to build the proper drainage systems.

As I recall, there is another law that requires LGUs to build water catchment ponds, as a preparation for El Nino. As far as I know, very few LGUs have complied with this requirement either. What is the use of passing these laws if they are not implemented? And who among the National Government Agencies (NGAs) could be responsible for not enforcing them? Could it be the DPWH? The DILG? The DENR? The NDRRMC? Perhaps it is about time that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. should create a cabinet cluster composed of all agencies that are directly involved with the supply chain of sewerage, drainage and flooding. IKE SENERES/09-09-2024

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PHILIPPINE INCLUSIVE SYSTEM FOR COLLEGE ENTRY OF STUDENTS

 PHILIPPINE INCLUSIVE SYSTEM FOR COLLEGE ENTRY OF STUDENTS My advocacy partner Mr. Roi Baluyot and I have created the Philippine Inclusive System for College Entry of Students (PISCES), for the purpose of making it easier for prospective students from the marginalized sectors to enter any of the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) that are located all over the Philippines. Although tuition is free in these SUCs, many prospective students find it difficult to proceed, because of possible expenses that they could not afford, such as books, learning materials, snacks, board and lodging, specifically for dormitory fees if they are from out of town. This idea started when Mr. Baluyot informed me that there are some UP alumni groups in the United States who are concerned about the fact that the the majority of the students who are presently enrolled in the UP campuses right now are mostly coming from the upper classes. That reality defeats the purpose of UP becoming a "university of ...
Read more

PREPARING FOR USAID PROJECT WITHDRAWALS

PREPARING FOR USAID PROJECT WITHDRAWALS The recent foreign policy shifts under returning U.S. President Donald Trump have significantly impacted global development aid, including USAID’s programs in the Philippines. With the United States reassessing its foreign assistance policies, it is almost certain that USAID funding for the Philippines will be reduced . This could lead to the slowdown—or even the complete shutdown—of various projects that have been instrumental in supporting economic development, governance, health, education, and infrastructure in the country. A Call for Proactive Government Action The Philippine government cannot afford to wait until the last minute to respond. The potential withdrawal of USAID projects must be addressed now , not when funding officially stops. A well-planned transition strategy is necessary to prevent gaps in critical services and ensure that the country’s development momentum is not disrupted. Steps the Government Must Take Immediate...
Read more

TELEMEDICINE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL

 TELEMEDICINE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL Marinduque Governor Presby Velasco has a wonderful plan to make telemedicine available to all the 218 Barangay Health Units (BHUs) in his island province, and I am very happy to help him with the project as his Information and Communications Technology (ICT) consultant.  Although the technology for telemedicine is already available in the market, it appears that no province has yet implemented a province wide telemedicine project that could connect patients from the grassroots level to the doctors at the municipal halls and the provincial capitol. By doing that, Governor Velasco will be able to achieve the goal of providing universal access to healthcare to everyone in his province. Although the project might appear to be complex, it is actually designed with a simple plan that would make it easy to implement. The one part of the plan is to install internet connectivity in each of the BHUs, using satellite or fiber, depending on what is av...
Read more