The plan to treat wastewater by using a device created from solid waste materials is an important part of sustainable development.

Dr. Wilfredo Jose, a professor of chemical engineering specializing in biotechnology at the UP Department of Chemical Engineering (DCE), is working through intensive research on a type of decentralized wastewater treatment system (DEWATS).

The system treats effluents from septic tanks and consists of an anaerobic and an aerobic reactor which flow to an algal pond. Wastewater passes through the reactors—chambers where microbial reactions take place removing much of the organic portion. This portion usually contains pathogens. These chambers have microbial support systems that are capable of turning murky water into clean water.

Dr. Jose modified the DEWATS using solid waste such as Yakult and mineral water bottles as containers for pyrolyzed biomass, such as rice hull. This mass supports the microbes which act on the filth. The materials are inexpensive and easy to assemble. He also notes that the technology was available since 1997, but only now is there an urgent need for its use.

Given the imperative of implementing the Clean Water Act, which mandates that all urban communities be connected to a sewerage system within five years, more and more local governments and organizations are seeing the need for a treatment system that is low-cost and easy to maintain. Large corporations, such as Jollibee, are seeking Dr. Jose’s assistance in creating models designed to clean their wastewater. Preliminary talks with and presentations to the fastfood company are already ongoing, and the next step is the creation of a working model to be tested on a typical restaurant. Dr. Jose also aims to implement this system in other plants in the food industry and even hopes to implement it in residential areas.

“Our project aims to solve sanitation problems and environmental pollution caused by improper sewage disposal,” says Dr. Jose. Because of his innovative approach in making and promoting DEWATS, he was awarded the second prize for “Scientific Poster Presentation” by the National Research Council of the Philippines under the Department of Science and Technology on March 8, 2007.

Part of the project was funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency under the ASEAN University Network-South East Asia Engineering Education Network. Graduate students Nguyen Thi Du from the Hanoi University of Technology and Didel Allera of the University of San Carlos working with Prof. Makoto Shoda from the Tokyo Institute of Technology are also part of the research team.

Another area Dr. Jose is looking into is treating leachates from sanitary landfills. “We can use DEWATS for landfills and other industrial areas that are pollutive,” Dr. Jose says.

“These kinds of DEWATS are somewhat labor intensive due to the materials used, but they can also be a venue for livelihood especially for small communities like barangays,” says Dr. Jose. “They may be low-profile projects, but I believe that they answer a need.”

Now Dr. Jose is planning to improve on his system by using a simplified aeration system with low electrical consumption. In rural areas, using solar cells or windmills can supply the electricity. Since the design is ready, all he is waiting for is the funding and venue to implement his plans.

Also in the pipeline is the large-scale production of microbial support materials from plastic wastes, such as plastic grocery bags and pyrolized biomass. These can be exported, says Dr. Jose.