Makati readies charges vs condo owners over waste water mess

Some West Tower condominium officials in Makati City may face a six-year jail term as waste water from the building's basement allegedly flowed into the city's drainage system. "Such irresponsible action could affect the entire neighborhood and endanger public welfare," Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. said in an article posted Tuesday on the city's website. Binay said charges are being readied against the management of West Tower because waste water from the building was allegedly dumped into the drainage system of Bangkal village in Makati. Binay said the charges will be separate from the penalties that could be imposed by the Environment Department, which is conducting its own probe. The city government said the condominium's management faces charges of violating Chapter 17 of the Sanitation Code of the Philippines on the improper disposal of waste water. Earlier, the residents of West Tower condo were ordered to evacuate the area after a gas leak was detected in the area. Investigation of the gas leakage revealed the accumulation of waste water in the building's basement. The city government gave the management of West Tower seven days to siphon off the water from its flooded basement. However, the waste water from the building allegedly flowed into the city's drainage system. City Department of Environmental Services (DES) officer-in-charge Lydia Donato said the sudden rise in the volume of waste water was observed by Bangkal village officials and Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP) personnel on Monday. The team and DES personnel then inspected the basement of West Tower condo and noticed a dramatic decrease in the volume of waste water. Earlier, City Engineer Nelson Morales said city engineers uncovered a possible violation of the Building Code because West Tower condo does not have a separate functioning motor for their sewerage treatment plant (STP). When city engineers ordered management to shut off the motor, waste water began flooding the basement, indicating the STP and the sump pit had only one motor. The city government had earlier ruled out the pipelines from the First Philippines Industrial Corporation as the source of the gas leak, which has prompted the city to order an evacuation of the condominium and a thorough test on water samples in the area. – VVP, GMANews.TV