A new large-scale sewage treatment facility in Mandaluyong is set to become Manila Water’s most advanced wastewater treatment plant, with the capability to process up to 120 million litres of wastewater per day.
The Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant forms part of the Mandaluyong West, San Juan South and Quezon City South Sewerage Scheme and will serve around 652,000 residents across a 20 km² catchment. Manila Water has been supported in the development by Binnies Philippines, working in consortium with DCCD Engineering Corporation on master planning, feasibility studies, reference and detailed design, and construction management.
YS Tse, Project Director at Binnies, said:
“Manila is a highly urbanised city but remains severely lacking in sewerage management. The Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant will significantly reduce pollution loads in the Pasig River and Manila Bay while helping to build resilient and sustainable communities. The infrastructure on the compact site has the capacity to support a growing population of up to 700,000 residents and is targeted to begin operation in early 2026.
The conveyance system, once fully completed, will include 53 km of sewers and a 100-million-litre-per-day pumping station located 20 metres below ground. After wastewater is collected, it will be treated at the centralised facility, which includes full biological nutrient removal capability.”
The Aglipay plant has been designed to meet the 2016 Philippine Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standards, which require very low nutrient levels in treated effluent. Tse explained that this guided the technical solution:
“The 2016 standards require nitrogen and phosphorus to be removed to very low levels. To achieve this, Binnies specified moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) technology, which uses microorganisms to remove nutrients while reducing chemical use. Achieving effective biological nutrient removal with low energy and chemical consumption is a core objective of the project.”
The sewerage system is being delivered in stages and is initially designed as a combined network collecting both sewage and rainwater. Over time, it is expected to transition to a more separate system. The MBBR process was selected for its robustness in handling this change, and provision has been made for future sludge treatment as biosolid volumes increase.
Jeric Sevilla, Director of Manila Water’s Communication Affairs Group, said:
“The Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant is a landmark achievement for Manila Water. Its scale, technology and reach reflect our commitment to building resilient and sustainable communities. This facility represents our long-term vision for protecting public health and safeguarding the environment through world-class wastewater management.”
