MARIKENYA.com

Some months back, the Marikina City’s Environmental Management Office (formerly Waste Management Office) has initiated the Clean Water Project of Marikina in partnership with USAID, an international organization.

The target of the project is to protect the groundwater resource of the city and to revive the Marikina river. Among the strategies includes campaign on septic tank construction, desludging and maintenance. In communities that are still under development, the city is recommending the construction of communal septic tanks for the residents. This design is most ideal for communities with less space. In Marikina, houses in high-density areas or communities average between 20 to 16 sq.m. with no areas for backyards or parking. Households with individual septic tanks are encourage to desludge theirs once every three to five years.

Another strategy is collection of used cooking oil in business establishments and even in households. Cooking oil is a major water pollutant that is mostly discarded improperly which drains eventually goes directly into the Marikina river contributing to its contamination. The city government dubbed the project “Recycle Used Cooking Oil,” and hopes to promote the correct disposal of the substance.

Check the schedule of the roving trucks collecting used cooking oil once a month in different barangays:
- First Sunday: Kalumpang, Industrial Valley Complex, Sto. Niño, San Roque, and Sta. Elena
- Second Sunday: Marikina Heights, Barangka, Tañong, J. dela Peña, and Malanday
- Third Sunday: Tumana, Nangka, and Concepcion Uno
- Fourth Sunday: Concepcion Dos, Fortune, and Parang

Let’s do our part, let’s clean our waterways and try to revive our very own Marikina River.