After a series of meetings and consultations, the local government and local water district representatives and other stakeholders in the municipality of Santa Maria in Bulacan openly came together last 3 October 2011 and discussed the possibilities of low-cost sanitation technology in their area with ESSC Executive Director Pedro Walpole.

With more than 40 housing subdivisions distributed in its 12 barangays, the appropriate management of the housing and other infrastructure development in Santa Maria needs to be addressed, especially in relation to the impact on its land and waterways.

Presented during the stakeholder meeting is a natural wastewater treatment system that will remove substantial amounts of pollutants from domestic wastewater, an initiative by a low-cost housing developer, Freedom To Build (FTB), in Barangay San Vicente.

FTB proposes the establishment of an artificial wetland treatment for sewage effluents through an engineered reed bed that will be used to service approximately 970 homes being built for low-income families in the Dela Costa Homes VI. Effluents from residential septic tanks will be diverted to the reed bed greenbelt before these are discharged to the Santa Maria River, the lone water body traversing the municipality and that eventually feeds to Marilao River.

FTB is on its sixth housing obligation and commitment to the poor and ESSC is providing technical advice in the development of alternative natural models in environmental sanitation treatments. ESSC develops environmental mechanisms with communities and local governments in the Philippines to promote appropriate resource management and implementation.

Engineer Carlos Santos, Jr, General Manager of the Santa Maria Water District (SMWD), with the entire SMWD Board of Directors headed by Ms Girlie Pleyto saw the value of taking on this initiative as an example for their water district.

Dr Rommel Enriquez, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer, representing the Mayor's office, also sought active participation for the local government in the learning process with Mr Patronilo Serapio, barangay captain of San Vicente.

Engineer Santos is interested in developing water management scenarios by which sanitation could be a proforma response after this initiative, as these have to be handed over to the water district or local government unit (LGU).

On the part of the LGU, the challenge is in legislate changes in the coming year for providing this mandated service or assist the water district in seeing this through the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).

Challenges remain as the technical design will have to be finalized, with an anaerobic and aerobic sanitation system that complies with DENR standards and gives reusable water that will contribute to a better Marilao River. Questions also emerged in determining a fair tariff for a sustainable system that can cover costs of overhauling, annual desludging, replacement of worn-out rotary parts, and how the different uses of water can be collected and allocated, such as for agriculture and other LGU water needs.

But the greater achievement in the 3 October meeting is the openness by which people engaged in this process. There are few examples in the country where low-cost sanitation technology is being applied and these cannot be singly picked up and reproduced. Local government needs to internalize the strategy as part of their environmental management efforts. Capacities for management at the local government also have to be developed

This venture is seeking accountability in local governments, local water districts, and assisting groups for environmental improvement and also set new standards for sanitation, as in solid waste management.