BAGUIO CITY – The city government needs to improve the coverage and implementation of Ordinance No. 7 series of 2009 which requires car wash establishments to have a drainage system.
In a legislative tracking done by the city council research division team under local legislative staff officer V Dan Ricky Ong, several suggestions were made by Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources Cordillera (DENR-CAR) regional director Ralph Pablo and Environmental Management Bureau Cordillera acting regional director Reynaldo Digamo to improve the measure.
In the report submitted to Vice Mayor Edison Bilog by local legislative officer IV Eliza Orduna, Pablo said the waste water from car wash establishments should pass through a “Processing or filter media before disposal especially grease and oils that are hazardous to human health as well as to flora and fauna.”
Owners of these establishments who have groundwater or surface water source should be encouraged to register their source to the National Water Resources Board.
Digamo for his part recommended the inclusion in the measure’s coverage the auto repair shops which provide engine washing and they be required to construct Oil Water Separator system which will separate oil from water and effluent to be discharged to the storm drainage line must conform to the standards set by the law.
He said all covered establishments should maintain a data on the estimated volume of waste water for monitoring purposes.
City planning and development officer Evelyn Cayat suggested that implementing rules and regulations should be formulated to set the parameters in enforcement.
Orduna in her report suggested that the observations and recommendations be considered by the city council in coming up with an amendatory ordinance.
She also put forward observations that most of the establishments do not have drainage systems and the water used directly goes to the canals, rivers, street gutters and storm drains.
She also noted that there were numerous establishments around the city that were not in the list provided by the permits and licensing division and thus suggested that the PLD be tasked to inspect all of these businesses in cooperation with the barangay officials.
The office of the environmental and natural resources should also help the PLD in strictly monitoring compliance of these firms to the provisions of the Environment Code which requires that auto repair and car wash shops should be located at least ten meters away from roadsides, pavements, drainage lines and other water sources to prevent eh discharge of effluents into waterways.
The code also requires auto repair shops to install appropriate catchment and receptacles for used gas and oils which should be properly placed in sealed containers and disposed through authorized means while car wash shops are required to put up a treatment facility with grease separator before water is disposed to the drainage line. /Aileen P. Refuerzo
