UP launches eco-friendly Japanese wastewater treatment system

The Oblation at the University of the Philippines in Diliman Quezon City. Ramon F. Velasquez / Wikipedia photo

MANILA — The University of the Philippines Institute for Small-Scale Industries (UP ISSI) and the Phil-Japan Worldwide Management Services, Inc. (PJW) launched on Monday the Johkasou on-site wastewater treatment system that will help protect the country’s current environment.

”We believe that this kind of project that we’re doing with PJW will be an instrument by which we can really advance the practice, the good practice of sanitation and environmental protection in the country today,” said ISSI Director, Professor Nestor O. Rañeses.

Currently, Raneses said there are some 20 million Filipinos who do not have access to proper sanitation and more than 90 percent of the raw sewage generated nationwide is not treated resulting to illnesses and economic losses.

This result to some 55 deaths per day and economic losses of about P78 billion per year, represented by the damage to fisheries, unattractive tourism destinations and the like.

The Johkasou on-site wastewater system was recommended to help in improving sanitation while advancing environmental sustainability.

The system, in effect, has the ability to significantly reduce pollutant loads such as Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Nitrogen (T-N), and Total Phosphorous (T-P) coming from domestic black water and gray water.

Septic tanks, are called “johkasou” in Japan. The so-called black water comes from toilets while gray water from the bath and kitchen.

Moreover, the treated wastewater can be easily reused for various purposes as a reliable water resource, while the sludge that pass through the Johkasou facility can be used as organic fertilizer or for biomass production.

The Johkasou facility can be constructed on-site for a house, a building, or a small community.

PJW is a Philippine-based provider of management consulting services and marketing of waste water treatment products including the Johkasou system, an eco-friendly domestic waste water treatment technology widely used in Japan.