REPUBLIC ACT 9275

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A

COMPREHENSIVE WATER QUALITY
MANAGEMENT AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004

Aims to protect the countrys water

bodies from pollution from land-based
sources (industries and commercial
establishments, agriculture and
community/household activities).
It provides for a comprehensive and
integrated strategy to prevent and
minimize pollution through a multi-
sectoral and participatory approach
involving all the stakeholders.
Why the need for the
Clean Water Act?
Low sewerage coverage
Degradation of water
quality from domestic
wastes
Spread of waterborne
diseases
Major Sources of Pollution

Non-point; 27%
Agricultural; 29%

Industrial; 11%

Domestic; 33%

Source: Greenpeace: The state of water resources in the Philippines

 Vientiane
Low Sewerage Coverage
Jakarta
Manila Only about 7% of the
population in the
Ho Chi Minh
service area have
Kathmandu access to the
Dhaka sewerage system.
Colombo
Phnom Penh
Ulaanbaatar
Karachi
Delhi
Shanghai
Kuala Lumpur
Tashkent
Chengdu
Seoul
Osaka
Hong Kong
Source: Asian Development Bank Water in Asian Cities Utilitie's Performance and Civil
0%Society Views
20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
55 people die daily from diseases caused
by a lack of proper sewerage and
sanitation facilities. These include
leptospirosis, malaria, dengue, Hepatis A,
Hepatitis E, and Typhoid fever.
Source: DENR
Indiscriminate
disposal of
wastewater is one
of the main
reasons for
degradation of
water quality
Decline in Fish Production

Fish Kills as a result

of increase in BOD
levels,
sedimentation and
silt pollution
Section 2. Declaration of
Policy
The State shall pursue a policy of
economic growth in a manner consistent
with the protection, preservation and
revival of the quality of our fresh, brackish
and marine waters.
Coverage of the Act
Water Quality Management in all
water bodies
Primarily apply to abatement &
control of pollution from land-
based sources
Enforcement of Water Quality
standards, regulations and
penalties
Key Definitions
Pollutant- shall refer to any substance,
whether solid, liquid, gaseous or
radioactive, which directly or indirectly:
alters the quality of any segment of the
receiving water body to affect or tend to affect
adversely any beneficial use thereof;
is hazardous or potential hazardous to health;
imparts objectionable odor, temperature
change, or physical, chemical or biological
change to any segment of the water body; or
is in excess of the allowable limits,
concentrations, or quality standards
Key Definitions
Effluent - discharge from known sources
which is passed into a body of water or
land, or wastewater flowing out of a
manufacturing plant, industrial plant
including domestic, commercial and
recreational facilities.
Wastewater - means waste in liquid
state containing pollutants.
Key Definitions (contd)
Septage - means the sludge produced
on individual onsite wastewater disposal
systems, principally septic tanks and
cesspools.
Key Definitions (contd)
Sewage wastewater from domestic,
commercial, industrial sources
Sewerage - any system or network of pipelines,
ditches, channels, or conduits including
pumping stations, lift stations and force mains,
service connections including other
constructions, devices, and appliances
appurtenant thereto, for the collection,
transport, pumping and treatment of sewage to
a point of disposal.
Water Quality
Management Area
(WQMA) Sec. 5
An area covering appropriate
physiographic units, such as watersheds,
river basins, or water resource regions
having similar hydrological,
hydrogeological, meteorological or
geographic conditions, which affect the
physicochemical and biological and
bacteriological reactions and diffusion of
pollutants in the bodies of water draining
the said area.
 The areas within
the jurisdiction of
the Laguna Lake
Development
Authority (LLDA)
shall be
designated as one
management area
under the
administration of
LLDA in
accordance with
R.A. No. 4850

Source: Laguna Lake Development

Source: DENR-EMB
Governing Board (GB)
Representatives of:
1. Mayors and Governors of
member LGUs
2. Relevant National Government
Agencies
3. Duly registered
nongovernmental organization
4. Utility Sector
5. Business Sector
Terms of Membership of
GB:
National government agencies shall serve
permanently unless replaced by their
appointing authority.
Elected local government units shall serve
up to such time as may be permitted by
their terms of office, while their
representatives shall serve as long as they
are authorized by the local government unit.
Non-government members maximum of
three (3) years.
Water utility sector as long as authorized
by the water utility sector
Technical Secretariat
At least Four (4) members with the following
minimum requirements:
1.One (1) member shall be a member of the Philippines
Bar
2.One (1) member shall be a Chemical Engineer,
Chemist, Sanitary Engineer, Environmental Engineer or
Ecologist or significant training and experience in
chemistry
3.One (1) member shall be a Civil Engineer or Hydrologist
or Significant training and experience in closely related
fields and experience on ground water, respectively
4.One (1) member shall be a Geologist, Biologist, or
significant training and experience in closely related
fields.
Objective of WQMA
Protect, thru stakeholders collaboration,
the water body and its tributaries by
keeping their water quality within the
Water Quality Guidelines or Criteria
conforming to the water bodys
classification (e.g., Class C or Class SC) or
Improve the quality to higher
classification (e.g., from C to B or SC to
SB).
Non-attainment Areas(Sec.
6)
-Determine water bodies, or portions
thereof, where specific pollutants from
either natural or man-made source have
already exceeded water quality guidelines
as non-attainment areas for the exceeded
pollutants.
National Sewerage and
Septage Management
Program (Sec. 7)
The DPWH, in coordination with the DENR
and the LGUs, is mandated by this Act to
prepare the National Sewerage and
Septage Management Program (NSSMP).
The goal of NSSMP is to improve water
quality and protect public health in urban
areas of the Philippines
Source: Lormelyn E. Claudio , Regional Director (EMB RIII)
Sewage, Collection,
Treatment and Disposal
Section 8 requires residential, commercial
and industrial establishments in metro
manila and Highly urbanized cities to
connect to an available sewage line
provided by concessionaires.
Sewage, Collection,
Treatment and Disposal

Source Lormelyn E. Claudio Regional Director EMB R egionIII

National Water Quality
Management Fund (Sec. 9)
National Water
Quality Management
Fund

Proceeds Donations,
Fines of Endowmen
Permits ts, Grants
Purpose:
To finance containment, clean-up operations
Guarantee restoration & rehabilitation of affected areas
Support research, enforcement, and monitoring
Provide technical assistance,; support information and education
Grant rewards and incentives
Area Water Quality
Management Fund (Sec.
10)
Area Water Quality
Management Fund

Fines Wastewat Donations,

before er Endowmen
CWA Discharge ts, Grants
fees
Purpose:
To maintain, upkeep water bodies
To finance wastewater facilities (establish & repair)
Operational expenses of GB (10%)
Provide technical assistance; support information and education
Grant rewards and incentives
END