WASTEWATER TREATMENT USING BIOFILTERS FOR ROXAS AVENUE

CANAL
 
 

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented to
the Civil Engineering Department of
School of Engineering and Architecture
Ateneo de Davao University
E. Jacinto St., Davao City

In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

JEREMIAH P. AQUITANIA
MARC NEIL S. LADIO
JOHN HARVEY A. PAGARAN
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The introduction of this undergraduate study discusses about the

background of the research, the answer on why the study must be conducted, the
objectives of the research, the importance and limitations of the research.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

We consume water, waste it, discard it, pollute it, poison it, and
relentlessly modify the hydrological cycles (natural and urban cycles), with total
disregard to the consequences [1]. Much of nature has been sacrificed for our
industry, economy, and luxury. We have put profit above people, greed above
need, and the rule of gold above the golden rule [2].  

In the Philippines, out of 127 freshwater bodies sampled, 47 % percent

were found to have good water quality, 40 % were found to have only fair water
quality, whilst 13 % showed poor water quality [3]. More than half of our water
resources have been polluted as classified by the GreenPeace Organization.
Also, 50 out of the 421 rivers in the Philippines are considered biologically dead
[4]. Not one of the country’s 158 major rivers is safe for drinking in their natural
flowing state [5]. The current condition of our country’s water resources demands
a more serious, direct, and scientific approach. We need to integrate engineering
design with sustainability and green architecture.

The Roxas Avenue houses the Roxas Canal and the Roxas Night Market.
The Roxas Canal serves as the drainage canal for wastewater along the Roxas
Avenue. The outlet of the canal is along the Davao Gulf which directly affects the
marine ecosystem [6]. The municipal wastewater has been contaminating the sea
for almost three decades. No major action has been taken by the city government
of Davao since the pollution crisis started [7]. Only garbage collections and canal
declogging were the regular course of action by the Local Government unit [8].

Beside the Roxas canal is the famous Roxas night Market. A major tourist
spot in davao that serves as a busy road during the day and a productive market
at night [9]. Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte said that the food stalls along the Roxas
Canal were not conducive for eating due to the odor emitted by the canal.
Despite the growing economy of the Night Market, the canal is still left untreated
and only mitigation alternatives were implemented such as the transfer of all food
stalls beside Aldevinco and all ukay-ukay stalls beside the canal [10]. 

Our study involves the analysis of water in the Roxas Avenue Canal and
proposal of a possible solution to the untreated municipal wastewater. By
integrating biofilters with soil mechanics, this study will provide a sustainable and
immediate approach to the sewerage in Davao city. The main focus is to apply
sustainable development in the sewerage of Davao city specifically in the Roxas
Avenue Canal. Sustainable Development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
[9]. The study will affect the Economic, Environmental and Social sector of the
Roxas Avenue. It will reduce the environmental impact of the canal, improve the
water quality, and boost the economy of the Roxas night market. 

We will design a prototype to be installed in the culverts along Roxas

canal to filter and treat the wastewater before it reaches the outlet. All materials
to be utilized will be cheap and directly available within Mindanao soil.
Macrophytes, Vetiver grass, and aquatic plants will be used to alter and improve
the biological content of the wastewater. The water in the canal is considered as
inland surface water. Biofilters to be used to balance the amount of dissolved
oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Suspended Solids
(TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), and heavy metals [10].

The matter found in water is affected by: the source of water, impacted by
the geology of the route taken from rainfall to point of extraction; vegetation and
animal impacts; and human impacts, reflecting activities such as application of
chemicals and waste discharges [11]. The wastewater in the canal generally
comes from the buildings and establishments around the Roxas Avenue such as
Ateneo de Davao University, Aldevinco Shopping Center, etc. Most of these
establishments either has outdated sewerage or does not have one at all [12].
The combination of all wastewaters made the canal a breeding ground for
pathogens, rhodents, and insects. 
 According to the data published by the WHO, the air pollution in Davao is
55.38 % moderate, water pollution is 60.83% high, and water quality is 39.17%
low [13]. From this data, the Roxas canal is one of the main contributors of water
pollution due to its outlet towards the sea. 

Filtration of the municipal wastewater will be done in two stages. The first
stage is the filtration through gravity using soil mechanics. Using proportioned
layers of gravel, sand, and clay, we can filter the water by applying permeability.
Soil particles passing sieve No. 200 will be the final layer before water undergoes
biofiltration [14]. Charcoal which is an active catalyst in filtration and commercially
available and cheap will serve as the midlayer between soil filtration and
biofiltration. Biofilters in the last stage will then alter and filter the different
properties of water before it pours down into the canal.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Untreated wastewater is harmful to both the environment and people that

utilize, consume, and reside around it. [15] Seeing that Davao City is rapidly
increasing its population [16], this would also indicate that the amount of
untreated wastewater disposed of in the canals is also increasing, which is why
there is a need for a water filtration system to be implemented in areas such as
Roxas Avenue Canal.

The primary concern of our study is addressing the untreated wastewater

disposed of in the Roxas Avenue canal. The researchers have chosen this
specific canal to be treated because the Roxas Night Market is situated next to
the canal and operates every day. This could pose a problem to the consumers
who frequent the night market because of the unsanitary location of the food
stalls, which can be attributed to the untreated waters of the canal. 

The proponents of the study are addressing this problem using a filtration
system that minimizes the pollutants present in the wastewater and maximizes its
filtration. What is unique about said filtration system is that the researchers are
applying their knowledge in Soil Mechanics in addressing the problem. [17] The
filtration system is mostly composed of materials that are both locally available
and affordable. These materials will be contained in an engineered container to
maximize the effect of filtration on the wastewater.

However, there are two minor problems that the filtration system will have
to face in the future. First, it would have to endure flooding as Davao City is
known for this particular issue. And second is the improper disposal of solid
wastes which could affect the bio filters in the filtration system.

Through this study, the researchers are aiming to spark the interests of
the young engineers of today and to the engineering community to utilize
sustainability as their primary solution to environmental problems.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study aims to develop a wastewater filtration system using biofilters

through the following objectives:

 To analyze the pollutants present in the municipal wastewater flowing

through Roxas Avenue canal
 To develop a prototype biofiltration system with the use of the theory of
Soil Permeability
 To test the effectivity of the prototype biofiltration system and compare the
results with the initial setting

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study primarily aims to treat the wastewater being disposed of,
particularly in the Roxas Avenue canal because untreated wastewater is harmful
to both Mother Nature and life itself. Moreover, since the world itself is
experiencing climate change and global warming, and since Davao city is also
known to be a green city, it is only proper to utilize eco-friendly and sustainable
solutions to attack environmental problems. Moreover, our study could spread
awareness of the environmental issues Davao city is facing due to urbanization. 

Also, the Roxas Night Market is situated next to the Roxas Avenue canal
every day, which resonates with the increasing need for a water filtration system
for sanitation purposes.
 Untreated wastewater does not only affect the environment but the people
as well. With the possibility of water pollution occurring due to the presence of
bacteria present in the canal water, the health of both the people residing in the
city of Davao and the marine life near Davao will be significantly impacted.
Viruses and other infectious diseases, such as E-coli, could quickly spread
across the city due to flooding.  Moreover, since the tourism of Davao is
improving, the spread of viruses and sickness is highly probable, given the
circumstances. It is now time to implement eco-friendly and sustainable projects
for it not only help the environment but it would also economically help Davao
city. Hence, an implementation of wastewater treatment using biofiltration is of
great importance.

1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The test subject of this study is limited to the canal waters of Roxas
Avenue, Davao City. However, it can also be applied to other similar scenarios
with this study given the need for comparison or data analysis. Nonetheless, the
primary water sample will be obtained from the aforementioned source stated
above [Roxas Ave. Canal]. The researcher's filtration system will rely on gravity to
function, in which natural energy will be utilized. The proponents of the paper will
also study whether the biofilters used will disinfect water output or not.

1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS

 Wastewater – defined as the negative result of human influence against

the aquatic environment, which can originate from various daily activities,
including agricultural, commercial, domestic, and industrial. [18]
 Untreated Wastewater – refers to a type of wastewater which contains
waterborne pathogens that can cause serious human illness and destroys
aquatic ecosystem. [19]
 Municipal Wastewater – a combination of the liquid and water carried
wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants and
institutions, together with any groundwater, surface water, and stormwater
that may have inadvertently entered the sewerage system. [20]
 Filtration – a process used to separate solids from liquids or gases using a
filter medium that allows the fluid to pass through but not the solid. [21]
 Biofilters – a water filtration system that relies on natural elements like
microorganisms and bacteria to serve as the primary filtration apparatus;
can also be the completely natural plantings of cattails, sedges, or other
marginal plants. [22]
 Biofiltration – the process of treating sewage by passing it through a
biofilter. [23]
 Soil Mechanics – a discipline of civil engineering that predicts the soil
performance characteristics utilizing the engineering techniques of
dynamics, fluid mechanics, and other technologies. [24]
 Soil Permeability – defined as the property of a porous material which
permits the passage or seepage of water (or other fluids) through its
interconnecting voids. [25]
 Initial Setting – refers to the results gathered from the initial testing.
 Prototype – an initial model of an object built to test a design. [26]
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