ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

In Environmental Engineering I, the

KNOW MORE ABOUT EMS
concepts of Environmental Management
UNDER ISO 14001
Systems (EMS) were already introduced, https://www.epa.gov/ems/learn-
including its definition and its five main stages about-environmental-management-
systems#what-is-an-EMS
which were defined by the ISO 14001:2015 – an
ISO standard that specifies the requirements for
an environmental management system. Also, the KNOW MORE ABOUT ISO
government sectors that are responsible for the 14001:2015
https://www.iso.org/standard/60857
management of water and air resources, and .html
solid waste were also introduced.

Here in Environmental Engineering II, Environmental Management Systems will

be discussed in a more technical perspective. Actual management systems will be
included, even the ones adopted in the Philippines. There will be a brief description of the
elements found in the systems, and essential information about water and air resources
and solid wastes, which will lead to the discussion of the systems, will also be tackled.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Before proceeding, here’s a concise definition of Environmental Engineering
retrieved from the American Society of Civil Engineers, Environmental Engineering
Division to jumpstart the discussion.

“Environmental engineering is manifest by sound engineering

thought and practice in the solution of problems of environmental
sanitation, notably in the provision of safe, palatable, and ample public
water supplies; the proper disposal of or recycle of wastewater and solid
wastes; the adequate drainage of urban and rural areas for proper
sanitation; and the control of water, soil, and atmospheric pollution, and
the social and environmental impact of these solutions. Furthermore, it is
concerned with engineering problems in the field of public health, such
as control of arthropod-borne diseases, the elimination of industrial
health hazards, and the provision of adequate sanitation in urban, rural,
and recreational areas, and the effect of technological advances on the
environment.”

(American Society of Civil Engineers, 1977)

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SYSTEMS APPROACH
Systems approach is looking at all the interrelated parts and their effects on one
another. It is a comprehensive problem identification and resolution approach based upon
the principles, concepts, and tools of systems thinking and systems science, along with
concepts inherent in engineering problem-solving. This will be furtherly discussed in
Module 5.

ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS
Environmental system is a system where life interacts with the
various abiotic components found in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Environmental systems also involve the capture, movement, storage, and use of energy.
Thus, environmental systems are also energy systems.

In Environmental Systems Engineering, systems

engineering principles are demonstrated and applied to address
various environmental issues related to water resources, waste
management, industrial development, and air pollution. The first
thing that a systems engineer does is simplifying the system to
a manageable size that behaves similarly to the real system.

WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
It is the process by which both the quantity
and the quality of the water used for human benefit
is managed without compromising its availability
and purity.

In the Philippines, the management of the

quality of various water resources is governed by
the Environmental Management Bureau, Water

Figure 1

The Environmental Management Bureau projected a classification of one

thousand nineteen (1,019) water bodies in the country according to beneficial use by
CY 2019. Seven hundred ninety-one of these are already classified according to
beneficial use and two hundred twenty-eight (228) are targeted to be classified until CY
2019.
To date, there are thirty-seven (37) officially- designated WQMAs, including the
areas within the jurisdiction of LLDA which was designated as one management area by
virtue of the Clean Water Act. (Environmental Management Bureau, n.d.)

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Quality Management Section. On the other
EMB WATER QUALITY
hand, the government agency responsible for all MANAGEMENT SECTION
the water resources in the Philippines is the water.emb.gov.ph
National Water Resources Bureau. The
NWRB coordinates and regulates all water- NATIONAL WATER
related activities that has impact on the physical RESOURCES BOARD
environment and economy. nwrb.gov.ph

WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AREAS

Through the RA 9275, also known as Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources along with National Water Resources
Board designated Water Quality Management
KNOW MORE ABOUT THE
Areas (WQMAs) to protect the water bodies and
WQMAs
its tributaries their water quality within the Water water.emb.gov.ph/?page_id=12
Quality Guidelines. The Water Quality
Management Area Map as of 2018 is shown below.

Figure 2: Water Quality Management Area Map (Source: EMB Annual Report CY 2018)

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WATER MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES

The Integrated Water Resources Management (ASEAN IWRM, 2015-2016)

identified ten key water management challenges in the Philippines. It is comprised of the
following:

1. Fragmentation of water agencies

2. Lack of science-based data and information for effective planning and decision
making
3. Depletion of water availability and quality
INTEGRATED WATER
4. Rapid urbanization and neutralization RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
5. Indiscriminate land use and development IN THE PHILPPINES
6. Increasing volume of solid wastes, aseaniwrm.water.gov.my/iwrm-in-
pollutants, and hazardous wastes philippines/
7. Unabated extraction of groundwater
8. Inadequate sewerage and sanitation facilities
9. Watershed degradation
10. Inadequate water infrastructure facilities

STAGES OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

The figure shown presents the stages in IWRM planning and implementation. It is
an approach accepted internationally as a means toward efficient, equitable, and
sustainable development.

Figure 3: Stages in IWRM Planning and Implementation (United Nations, 2014)

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 IWRM is an empirical concept which was built up from the on-the-ground
experience of practitioners. Although many parts of the concept have been around for
several decades - in fact since the first global water conference in Mar del Plata in 1977 -
it was not until after Agenda 21 and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
1992 in Rio that the concept was made the object of extensive discussions as to what it
means in practice. The Global Water Partnership's definition of IWRM is widely accepted.
It states: 'IWRM is a process which promotes the co-ordinated development and
management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximize the resultant
economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the
sustainability of vital ecosystems.'
(DHI Water Policy (Denmark), UNEP-DHI Centre for Water and Environment (Denmark),
WWAP, 2009)

WASTEWATER DISPOSAL SUBSYSTEM

When waste is disposed of properly, it helps to prevent additional pollution which

can improve and protect the health of an individual, a family, and the community, and also
to prevent the occurrence of certain nuisances.
Human wastes must be disposed of properly to achieve the following criteria:
1. They will not contaminate any drinking water supply.
2. They will not give rise to a public health hazard by being accessible to vectors
(insects, rodents, or other possible carriers) that may come into contact with
food or drinking water.
3. They will not give rise to a public health hazard by being accessible to children.
4. They will not cause violation of laws or regulations governing water pollution or
sewage disposal.
5. They will not pollute or contaminate the waters of any bathing beach, shellfish
breeding ground, or stream used for public or domestic water-supply purposes,
or for recreational purposes.
6. They will not give rise to a nuisance due to odor or unsightly appearance.
The listed criteria may be observed well through:
1. An adequate public or community sewerage system
2. If a sewerage system does not exist, on-site disposal of human wastes using
an approved method should be observed at all times.

Six Parts of Wastewater Management System

1. Source of Wastewater
The source of wastewater is divided into two broad categories: the domestic
sewage and the non-sewage.
a. Domestic sewage

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 Domestic sewage comes from domestic activities. It
includes wastewater from houses, public toilets,
restaurants, schools, hotels, and restaurants. Huge
volume of this wastewater is produced on a daily basis.
b. Non-sewage
This includes all other types of wastewater such as
rainwater and storm water from flooding, water from
commercial activities, and water from industrial plants.
2. On-site Processing
This reduces the concentration of contaminants
to acceptable levels. Wastewaters may be subject to
some pre-treatment on site if it has the potential to
upset the municipal wastewater treatment plant
(WWTP).
3. Wastewater collection, transmission and
pumping
Wastewater collection systems collect the used
water generated from various sources to a wastewater
treatment plant (WWTP) prior to discharging into lakes,
streams, or rivers. The collection system may also be
referred to as sewer collection system. Sewers may be
classified into three categories: sanitary, storm, and
combined.
When gravity flow is not possible or when sewer
Figure 4: Wastewater Management trenches become uneconomically deep, the
Subsystem (Linsley & Fanzini, 1979) wastewater may be pumped. When the sewage is
pumped vertically to discharge into a higher-elevation
gravity sewer, the location of the sewage pump is called a lift station.
4. Treatment
Wastewaters undergo the treatment process in a wastewater treatment
plant (WWTP) to remove the contaminants and to convert it into an effluent that
can be returned to the water cycle with minimum impact on the environment.
Thorough discussion of wastewater treatment will be discussed in Module 3.
5. Disposal or reuse
The disposal or reuse occurs after the treatment. These are the primary
objectives of wastewater treatment. In this stage, the effluent – the outflowing
water from the WWTP – is discharged into a receiving body such as the oceans,
lakes, rivers. It may also be discharged onto the ground, or be processed for reuse
(wastewater reclamation).

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AIR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Air Resource Management System is the balance of cost and benefit to obtain a
desired quality of air. (Davis & Cornwell, 2008)

Figure 5
In the Philippines, the management of air resource quality is governed by the
Environmental Management Bureau, Air Quality Management Section. Its central
office manages the central depository system. The central office is also responsible for
the operation and maintenance of all air quality monitoring stations nationwide.

TWO IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES OF AIR RESOURCE AND WATER RESOURCE

1. Quantity
While water is expected to be supplied adequately, air is delivered free of charge in
whatever quantity.
2. Quality
Unlike water, which can be treated before we use it, it is impractical to go about with
a gas mask on to treat impure air.

AIR RESOURCE MONITORING AREAS

The RA 8749, also known as Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, aims to achieve and
maintain healthy air for all Filipinos. Across the nation, 102 air quality monitoring stations
are operated. As of December 2018, approximately 70% of the air quality monitoring
equipment were functional/operational while 30% were for repair/replacement.
(Environmental Management Bureau, 2018). The figure below is the map of all Air Quality
Monitoring Stations nationwide.

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 Figure 6: Location of Air Quality Monitoring Stations Nationwide (Environmental Management
Bureau, 2018)

AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The (Environmental Protection Agency, 2017) defines Air quality management as

all activities a regulatory authority undertakes to help protect human health and the
environment from the harmful effects of air pollution. The process of managing air quality
can be illustrated as a cycle of inter-related elements.
1. Establish goals
Goals related to air quality are established by government institutions.

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 Figure 7: Air Quality Management Cycle (Environmental
Protection Agency, 2017)

1. Determine emission reductions

At this stage, emission reductions are determined in order to achieve the goals
established by the government. This will make use of emissions inventories, air
monitoring, air quality modelling and other assessment tools to understand the air quality
problem fully.
2. Develop control strategies
Air quality managers consider how pollution prevention and emission control
techniques can be applied to achieve the reductions needed to achieve the goals.
3. Implement program
Air quality has deteriorated and corrections are needed and the chances of having
bigger air quality problems in the future is huge. Therefore, the programs for pollution
control strategies shall be implemented. Regulations or incentive programs that lower
emissions from sources need to be put in place. Regulated industries need training and
assistance in how to comply with rules. And the rules need to be enforced.
4. Undertake on-going evaluation
This step determines whether the air quality goals are met.

Every stage in the process strongly depends on scientific research. This

provides a thorough understanding of how pollutants are emitted, transported and
transformed in the air and their effects on human health and the environment

A more detailed representation of Air Resource Management System is shown

below:

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 Figure 8: Simplified Block Diagram of Air Resource System (Davis & Cornwell, 2008)

The effectivity of the program will only be visible if each and every element is
employed.

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Air Quality Management System in the Philippines

Through the Philippine Clean Air Act of INTEGRATED AIR QUALITY

IMPROVEMENT FRAMEWORK
1999, the Integrated Air Quality
(DENR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO.
Improvement Framework was 2000-82)
developed to provide basis for https://r5.emb.gov.ph/wp-
comprehensive air pollution management content/uploads/2016/11/DAO-2000-82.pdf
and control program. It shall be adopted
as the official blueprint with which all government agencies must comply with to attain
and maintain ambient air quality standards.

The framework describes the National Air Quality Management System designed
to reach the goal of Clean Air Act which is “to achieve and maintain air quality that meets
the National
Ambient Air Quality
Guidelines for
criteria pollutants,
throughout the
Philippines, while
minimizing possible
associated negative
impacts in the
economy of the
Philippines.” Further
discussion of air
pollution control will
be in Module 3.

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SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Figure 9: Air Pollution

Control/Air
Management Program
(Source: DENR
Administrative Order
No. 2000-82)

Figure 10

Solid Waste Management System is the process of collection, transport, treatment,

and disposal of solid wastes, together with monitoring and regulating the entire waste
management process. Waste management practices are not uniform among countries
(developed and developing nations); regions (urban and rural areas),
and residential and industrial sectors can all take different approaches (Davidson, 2011)

In the Philippines, the management of

solid waste is under the Environmental
Management Bureau, National Solid Waste
Management Section.

OVERVIEW OF SOLID WASTE

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Solid-waste management system is

composed of waste generation (from different
sources), storage, collection and transport,
processing, and disposal. Endpoints (not shown
in the diagram) such as materials recovery,
composting, recycling, and energy recovery are
vital in the processing and disposal stage.
Further discussion of the components of solid
Figure 11: Simplified Block Diagram of a
Solid Waste Management System
waste management system will be in module 3.
(Tchobanoglous, G., Theisen, & Eliassen,
1977) 24
Objectives of Proper Solid Waste Management

(Mihelcic & Zimmerman, 2014) identified five main objectives. The objectives are the
following:

1. Follow the pollution prevention hierarchy, which prefers source reduction and
recycle over treatment and disposal.
2. Protect public health.
3. Protect the environment (including biodiversity) and view the waste material as a
resource.
4. Address social concerns (equity, environmental justice, aesthetics, risk, public
preferences, recycling, renewable energy).
5. Minimize economic social and environmental costs.
MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

Systems approach leads to an effective and successful solid-waste

management.

“Rather than attempt to analyze whether individual system

components are better or not, society needs to evaluate, in a holistic,
integrated manner, the combination of components that will maximize
benefits at a given cost for current and future generations.”
(Mihelcic & Zimmerman, 2014)

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 Figure 12: Example of a Systems Approach to a Solid-Waste Management (Mihelcic &
Zimmerman, 2014)

To develop a system such as the figure above, the following are required:
1. Focus on overall objectives
2. Creativity in developing new and sustainable possibilities
3. Recognition of the impact of decisions on one part of the system to the overall
system
Waste generators, as they separate their wastes according to its type, provide huge
benefits to the entire solid waste management system. Creating value from wastes
increases once it is separated properly.
Consultation
In every engineering project concerning the management of solid wastes,
consultation is a vital part. First step of the consultation process is the identification of the
stakeholder’s (could be the neighbours, the community, news media, government
officials, environmental and social groups) who have direct or indirect interest in the
proposed project.
For the overall result to be visible, consultation must begin early, resources must
be sufficient, and the stakeholders’ concerns and ideas must be considered openly and
sincerely.
Consultation methods include the following:
1. Information releases
2. Field trips/ site visits
3. Information stands/ club visits
4. Contact person
5. Public meetings
6. Workshops
7. Advisory committee
8. Mediation
Policy Options
To come up with a good policy, cost and benefits must be assessed, objectives
must be focused on, and risks and effects must be considered.
Cost Estimation
Designing waste management facilities should consider both the cost and the social
benefits.

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SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES

Through the RA 9003, also known as Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000,
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources along with the National

Solid Waste Management Commission ensures that the environment and health
of the public will be protected through a systematic and comprehensive solid waste
management program.

Key Trends of Solid Waste Management Issues

In the Philippines, the key trends that characterize solid waste management
issues are:
a. Increase in shear volume of waste generated
b. Change in the quality or make-up of waste generated
c. Waste handling methods

“The Philippine solid waste composition is generally highly organic (biodegradable)

and recyclable. Based on JICA study (1999), yard, wood, and kitchen wastes account for
fifty percent (50%) of the total waste composition generated by an average household in
the country. Even in Metro Manila, forty-nine (49%) percent are kitchen and garden waste.”

(National Solid Waste Management Commission, 2004)

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The National Framework The National Framework provides a comprehensive but
practical guide for the local government units and other sectors concerned in the
implementation of the RA 9003.

Figure 13: Solid Waste Management System Prescribed under RA 9003

(National Solid Waste Management Commission, 2004)

Principles
1. Scope of Waste management activities
2. Critical Actors and partners in implementing the activities
3. Means for implementing the SWM objectives
The diagram of solid waste streams and its management according to levels
shown in the previous page illustrates the summary of the salient features of RA 9003.

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