General Chemistry 1

Project Proposal 2022

Overview

Bodies of water, such as Taal Lake and Laguna de Bay, provide fresh water to communities on

the shorelines. These bodies of water are also home to a variety of marine life. Over the years,

thousands of fish pens have flourished which have provided livelihood and a steady supply of fish.

However, the proliferation of these fish pens has also taken a toll on the lake’s ecosystem. Fish kills

have become more frequent over the years.

As a team of environmental researchers, it is tasked to create a project proposal/Action Plan to

prevent the bodies of waters from harmful chemicals that affect marine life and suggests ways to help

reduce the negative impact of these chemical reactions to avert future fish kills.

I. BRIEF CONTEXT/PERSPECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

The pollution in Laguna De Bay roots back in 1997 when the Department of Environment and

Natural Resources (DENR) conducted an assessment to determine the solid and liquid wastes being

dumped into the lake. The government agency found that agricultural waste contributed 40% while both

domestic and industrial waste significantly contributed 60% of waste. Meanwhile, in 2021, Taal Lake

also suffers significantly from agricultural and aquaculture wastes like chemicals used on farms to clean

animal cages of poultry, piggery, and fish while domestic waste comes in as the second contributor of

waste.

Both polluted lakes have been battling the same issue with minimal results because they also

possess the same characteristics, they are used as livelihood grounds and they both act as catch

basins which means water flows into the lakes from their respective regions. With these in common,

they pose detrimental effects to the surrounding flora and fauna when left untreated. Battling pollution

will never be easy in these two lakes especially when most of the pollutants are chemicals, heavy

metals, and not solid wastes like plastics.

II. ACTIVITY DETAILS
Project
Core Values Description Objectives Person Involve Budget Location
Title

The project 1) To prevent Possible

Respect proposal is a stormwater costs of
community from reaching Government implementing
initiative strategy. the lakes Officials Canal
It acquires all Treatment
nearby towns to Non- systems:
Canal possess the 2) Cut off the Governmental Taal
Treatment same technology sources of Organizations Lake &
Responsibility System: and infrastructure areas that are ₱26,379,000 Laguna
Filtering to improve water major Aqua-Marine Life to de Bay
and quality by contributors of Administrations ₱ 79,137,000
Purification systematically harmful
of Flowing filtering the water chemicals and Environmental Possible
Water that passes pollutants Researchers costs of
through the implementing
canals. The Participants stormwater
pollutants are 3) Improve filter tanks:
then disposed of water quality
properly, away that is healthy ₱200,000
Synergy from sources of and to
water or area sustainable for ₱700,000
thereof. livelihood and
inhabitation

SUMMARY

Problem

1. Heavy traces of chemicals such as Mercury, Arsenic, Chromium, Zinc, Lead, & Cadmium

contributed severely to the fish kills and worsening water quality.

2. Raw and untreated sewage directly flow into the lakes.

3. Stormwater mixed with chemicals during rainy conditions is problematic as they combine directly

toward the lakes.

4. Unsustainable business practices that will affect everyone in the long run.
Solution

The circulation and cycle of water are important especially when the Philippines is a typhoon-

prone area. The water quality in the country is one of the worst comparable to Thailand with 9 million

Filipinos relying on unsafe water supplies. However, figures don’t stop there with other 30 million

Filipinos at risk of consuming unsafe water, with 55 people killed on average by untreated water

supplies. The solution for this is simple yet requires the will and work of the people. Filtration and

treatment of the water in a cheap way were thought to be expensive. However, this can be proven

wrong when the equipment can be made locally and massed produced. This is economically,

biologically, and practically advantageous considering we are a calamity-stricken area every year. One

of the best instances of this project being economically advantageous is that when a typhoon strikes

the Philippines, many will be left without accessible drinking water. With this basic filtration technology,

the government can reduce the cost of logistics and provide accessible drinking water as soon as

possible in times of calamities such as these typhoons where you can just tap from these filtration tanks.

For the biological aspect of this project, it is anticipated to block off and collect 70% of the stormwater

during a typhoon and almost 90% during heavy rainfalls. That can cut the chemicals that flow into these

water basins to more than half and ensure the water quality is safer than it used to be. The filtration

and treatment approach can also block off debris that can cause trash pollution on nearby shores.

Practically, this project can serve the environment and the people at the same time, with the

environment benefiting from filtered and safer water quality while the people can readily access the

water supply when needed in times of disaster or even just for their convenience.
Implementation Timeframe: 12 – 15 Months

First Trimester Second Trimester Third Trimester Fourth Trimester Last Trimester

Meet with the Discuss budgeting Get the necessary Proceed building Proceed in

officials involved of the program permits in pursuing prototypes for trial- executing the

the project and-error of the project plans with

system all things settled

1. Increase Installation of Water Filtration Plants

Water is collected from stormwater run-offs and from the canals, riverways, and other sources

of water. These are then brought to the pumps that suck these waters to be treated. This raw resource

from the collected water is called blackwater. It is then brought to the separation plant where the harmful

chemicals are separated from the water. This will in turn create greywater, which is safer than

blackwater but still harmful. Next is the painstaking process of filtration which has two types; natural

and mechanical. Natural filtration can take days or even weeks when large volumes of water are being

treated while mechanical filtration will take a lot of energy in a shorter amount of time.

Figure 1

Disinfection will be conducted to significantly reduce any potential diseases that are present in

the filtered water. After the disinfection, it can be then distributed through the water tanks that are safe

for use.
 2. Stormwater Tank Filtration System

With the treatment plants being a priority, filtration tanks are the secondary focus of the project

as these tanks are auxiliary to the water treatment facilities. These tanks are equipped with a wide vent

spanning up to 50 meters per tank to collect rainwater. These tanks can be rotated via remote in the

direction where rainwater is more frequent to collect the water efficiently.

Figure 2

Vent

Filtration systems in areas with frequent rainfall can minimize the adverse effects of stormwater.

These tanks are the first barrier of protection for the lakes as they capture the rain before it reaches the

ground which can result in rainwater mixing with the chemicals that flows through the lakes. The

filtration of these tanks minimizes the risks of adverse chemicals reaching the ecosystem of the lakes.
 Figure 3

• Can hold 10,000

gallons/45,460 Liters
of water
• An individual can
drink up to 4 liters
per day
• A single tank can
produce drinking
water for 11,365
individuals

Planting a single tank such as these can take up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water which are

enough for 11,300 individuals every day, that is if heavy rainfall is to occur and fill up the tanks to the

brim. However, it can also filter out normal rain showers which can be useful in providing a few people

with safe drinking water. This technology will reduce the harmful impacts of stormwater as it will be

diverted to these tanks instead of going to the farms and industrial areas that would capture the

chemicals and flow to the lakes, destroying the ecosystem in the process.
Expected Output

The locations where these infrastructures are installed are expected to have low emissions of

chemical traces to the lakes after which there can be space for recovery for these bodies of water.

Environmental researchers aim to protect and provide healthy living for existing the environment and

marine life.

Moreover, toxic chemicals and nutrients will be furtherly observed and monitored in order to fully

reduce the environmental destruction of the substances freely flowing from the lakes. The

implementation of the Water Filtration Plants and the Stormwater Filtration System will be also regularly

maintained to efficiently produce clean and filtered water before it is released to the lakes or distributed

for use.

The project ensures the environment is reduced by water pollution by at least 50% and 70% at

most. Although it is not perfect, it is one step closer to acquiring healthy circulation, regulation, and

filtering of water that is beneficial for humans and the environment.

REFERENCES

• 6 Tips to Prevent Summer Fish Kills. (2017, July 20). SOLitude Lake Management: Full-

Service Lake and Pond Management. https://tinyurl.com/5c7f323

• https://www.accord.org.za/ajcr-issues/environmental-degradation-livelihood-and-conflicts/

• https://earthjournalism.net/stories/saving-taal-lake-preserving-the-endemic-tawilis

• https://www.deped.gov.ph/2021/07/09/contain-the-contaminated-laguna-lakes-state-of-e-

mergency/

• https://borgenproject.org/water-pollution-in-the-philippines/

• https://www.thegef.org/news/battling-pollution-philippinese28099-largest-lake

• https://smartclean.fi/en/projects/sc-stormwater-management-en/

• https://greenlahti.fi/en/article/the-conservation-of-lake-

vesijarvi#:~:text=In%20the%201970s%2C%20Lake%20Vesij%C3%A4rvi,with%20decades%2

0of%20environmental%20conservation.&text=The%20Lake%20Vesij%C3%A4rvi%20lies%20b

etween%20Lahti%2C%20Asikkala%20and%20Hollola.

• https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1558699/studies-bare-concerning-ecological-status-of-laguna-lake

• https://www.samcotech.com/cost-wastewater-treatment-system/