Two revolutionary companies, Falcon Waterfree Phils., Inc. and First Envirotech Corporation, launched their partnership last Friday, November 13 at the Lancaster Hotel, Mandaluyong City.

The Falcon-First Envirotech partnership aims to introduce leaders of the business, industrial, and government communities to safe, environment-friendly, and economically-sound solutions to the problem of clean water management and compliance with the Clean Water Act.

Invited to the ceremonies were Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos, Mr. Patrick Wall, Senior Commercial Officer of the US Embassy, Malabon Mayor Canuto Oreta, Environmental Management Bureau Director Julian Amador, former Mandaluyong Vice-Mayor Jesse Cruz, Falcon Waterfree President Ditmar Gorges and Bio-Microbics President Mr. Robert Rebori.

The facts are startling: Most studies point to the fact that domestic wastewater is the principal cause of organic pollution (at 48 percent) of our water bodies. Yet, only 3 percent of investments in water supply and sanitation were going to sanitation and sewage treatment.

A recent World Bank report pointed out that Metro Manila was second to the lowest in sewer connections among major cities in Asia at less than 7 percent, compared to 20 percent for Katmandu, Nepal and 30 percent for Dhaka, Bangladesh.

With all the risk factors that may develop with unsafe water, the implementation of the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 (RA 9275) is imperative — and yet compliance is low. Despite fines of up to P200,000, it is estimated that almost 70 percent of businesses in Metro Manila may have to be shut down if compliance with the Clean Water Act would be strictly monitored.

There is also an increasing need to manage water consumption in the country. Recent floods have brought home the fact that water and sewerage systems in the metropolitan areas have become severely overtaxed. With climate change creating questions about future water supply for our communities, and with water rates increasing by an average of 22 percent this year, there is no better time for the business, industrial and government sectors to act on both the water conservation and water treatment problems than now.

FAST wastewater treatment systems are proven, innovative treatment products that provide robust, high-performance treatment to meet the challenges of our changing world. Offering a direct response to the challenges of the Clean Water Act, which requires industries and commercial establishments, agriculture and communities to protect the country’s water bodies from pollution from land-based sources, the FAST System — an acronym for Fixed Activated Sludge Treatment — uses environmentally sound technology and reliable scientific principles to create a cost-effective and customizable, small-scale sewage treatment plant that benefits not just the environment, but the business or home owner.