To ensure the health of the people and environment, the Environmental Quality Protection Board (EQPB) is continually promoting on-site wastewater management systems for homes built with no access to public sewer system, most of which are found in the 10 states of Babeldaob, Kayangel, Peleliu, Angaur, and some parts of Koror. Through collaboration and partnership with the Palau National Housing Commission, EQPB moved closer to this goal when an RFP was issued in June 2020 to solicit engineering designs for on-site waste water management designs for new homes built under the Housing Development Loan Project (HDLP). The RFP required contractors to submit designs in full compliance with PNC 2401-13 or Wastewater Treatment Disposal Regulations which is one of the nine (9) regulations EQPB is authorized to promulgate and enforce.
On-site wastewater treatment systems are used to treat wastewater from a home or business and return treated wastewater back into the surrounding environment. This system is also known as septic systems because it involves a septic tank and leaching field to treat wastewater. Septic systems are underground wastewater treatment structures that use a combination of nature and proven technology to treat wastewater produced from household bathrooms, kitchen drains, and laundry.
In a kick-off meeting on January 8, 2021, EQPB CEO Roxanne Siual Blesam and technical staff met with engineers from the winning bid, NECO Group Services Inc., to commence the work on finalizing designs for on-site wastewater treatment systems that can be used to safely treat sewage for new homes in Palau that have no access to the public sewer system. These standardized designs will be ideal for the different percolation found all over Palau. According to CEO Blesam, once these designs are finalized they will be available at EQPB for any new home owner or contractor to use to ensure the wastewater treatment system applied during the construction of new homes or businesses will be suitable to the size of the family in the home or the number of customers expected to be served in a business establishment. This will eliminate problems of septic system failures new home owners and businesses have faced in recent years.
Both EQPB and NECO Group Services Inc. agreed to a timeline of 11 weeks to finalize the various designs for Subsurface Wastewater Infiltration System or septic and leaching field systems for flow rates for 2-bedroom to 6-bedroom homes. These systems are an application of both nature and the latest technology to turn wastewater to clean water that is returned to the environment. Once finalized, these designs will be available at EQPB for anyone looking to build a home. New homeowners and contractor are encouraged to contact EQPB by the end of March 2021 to access these designs that will save homeowners on the cost for design as well as ensure you build a suitable Subsurface Wastewater Infiltration System or SWIS that will last for up to 40 years or more.
For more information on regulations, permits, and activities we can do to protect our environment, call EQPB at 488-1639/3600. You can also visit https://www.palaugov.pw/eqpb for more information on the nine (9) regulations that EQPB is authorized to promulgate and implement.
Kickoff: A big plus for new homeowners
