As part of the continuing rehabilitation efforts to ensure proper wastewater management in the island, Boracay Water, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), plugged additional 36 pipes illegally connected to the drainage system. 

Since the closure of the island on April 26, Boracay Water has been providing assistance to DENR and TIEZA in identifying establishments releasing untreated wastewater or used water into the government’s drainage system which have been a major source of the increased coliform levels at the Bolabog outfall. Of the 36 plugged illegal lines, 25 are located at the 200-meter stretch of Kanyugan Alley while 11 illegal pipelines were found along the 200-meter stretch of Road 1A.

Similar efforts are being undertaken along the beachfront using CCTV technology to help trace and investigate pipelines illegally connected to the drainage system and releasing used water directly to the beach.

According to Boracay Water General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Joseph Michael Santos, these efforts to assist DENR and TIEZA are in line with the company’s campaign to encourage households and establishments to connect to the existing sewer network to ensure that wastewater coming from residences and establishments undergo proper treatment and fully comply with the strict discharge standards of DENR.

“We need everyone to act responsibly and to properly connect to a reliable sewer system to permanently put a stop to the illegal connections of sewer lines to the drainage system which is intended solely for rain water and not wastewater. These illegal acts of violators have become the main cause of our system overflows polluting our waters,” Santos emphasizes.

Just recently, Boracay Water has built a temporary interceptor and diversion system that redirects drainage water to the company’s Balabag Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) to ensure proper treatment. This also allows the system to accept more sewer connections even from non-customers of Boracay Water. With its existing used water network, the company may readily connect more than 500 establishments and residents.