BAGUIO CITY — The Baguio City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) said recent community inspections near waterways identified illegal wastewater disposal, direct discharge of wastewater, overflowing septic tanks, drainage runoff, and improper disposal of solid and animal waste as the primary causes of river pollution in the city.

CEPMO-Environmental Management Division head Sofronio Pascua said leaking or overflowing septic tanks that discharge directly into creeks, detached wastewater pipes, and the failure to regularly desludge septic systems remain among the most common violations.

While the city uses building permits to verify septic tank installations and ensure compliance with standards, Pascua said many structures bypass permit requirements entirely. He added that overflowing septic tanks are especially common in areas inaccessible to desludging service companies.

The city has also attempted to enforce a three-meter creek easement to improve accessibility, although Pascua noted that implementation requires navigating lengthy demolition procedures.

Inspectors likewise found that some households continue to drain laundry and dishwashing wastewater directly into rivers in violation of Presidential Decree 856.

Although the city’s sewage treatment plant remains fully operational, Pascua said a significant amount of pollution still comes from households and establishments not connected to sewer lines, as well as runoff from drainage systems.

Aside from wastewater, solid waste continues to contaminate creeks and contribute to flooding. Animal waste also remains a concern. While backyard piggeries have declined, dog and pet excrement have emerged as new pollutants, prompting the environment office to intensify water quality monitoring and community inspections.

Since November last year, authorities have inspected 782 sites near creeks, resulting in the issuance of 346 notices of violation for various environmental offenses. A total of 83 violators caught directly discharging wastewater into waterways have already paid fines.

Property owners who receive notices for violations other than direct discharge are usually given three days to comply, while those requiring structural repairs are given up to seven days.

The Balili and Bued rivers are currently covered under the Water Quality Management Area program of the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR), which mandates rehabilitation and treatment plans.

Although recent water quality assessments initially showed improvements, reducing fecal coliform levels from the trillions to the billions, the latest EMB-DENR data showed an upward trend back toward the trillions.

The Balili River remains heavily contaminated with high fecal coliform and biochemical oxygen demand levels. Water quality tests conducted near the Slaughterhouse area, which receives drainage from the city’s central business district, also showed elevated biochemical oxygen demand levels, indicating severe organic pollution.