'''Country:''' Philippines
Keywords: cocopeat, biofilter, wastewater, secondary treatment system, school sanitation, local material, low-cost === '''Implementation of cocopeat biofilter secondary treatment system in Philippines''' ===
''“We are very proud of our environmental record here at our high school, and this cocopeat wastewater system is one more step in the greening of our school”'', says Mrs. Madeline Ann L. Diaz
==== '''Background information: ===='''
Madeline is the school principal of the Science High school in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. Since the beginning of 2012 a cocopeat secondary treatment system treats the wastewater of around 870 students. The effluent is disbursed to a tree planting area, where it is hoped that the nutrient-rich effluent gives a jump-start to the mahogany saplings planted around the school.
In the course of a project on the efficiency of low-cost materials to treat wastewater for reuse in developing country settings, RTI International installed a cocopeat biofilter secondary treatment system at the Science High School, as well as at the Putatan Elementary School in Muntinlupa City.
==== '''The installation and the run of the project: ===='''
[[File:Cocopeat demonstration.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Cocopeat demonstration]]
Cocopeat, the dust from crushed coconut shells, is a waste byproduct of coconut processing that can be used in the development of low-cost wastewater management systems to improve sanitation. Cocopeat is used in the construction of biofilters, which treat septic tank or digester effluent so that it can be used safely for agriculture and landscape irrigation, or discharged into the environment. As wastewater passes through the biofilter, suspended solids are trapped, and organic matter is consumed by the microbes living in the filter, resulting in a significant reduction of pollution constituents in the final effluent.
The Philippines has continued to lag behind other Southeast Asian nations in terms of the percentage of the population with access to sewerage services. As centralized wastewater treatment remains prohibitively expensive for all but the most densely populated regions, decentralized on-site wastewater technologies are now necessary to meet this need. The project seeks to demonstrate one such low cost wastewater treatment technology, which can be installed by local service providers using locally available cocopeat.
==== '''Key messageThe key lesson of the story:''' ====
[[File:Coco4.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Coco4]]
This case study shows, how important it is to adopt a waste-water project to the the specific features of the project place, in this case to the available local materials, which helps to achieve an environmentally friendly method.
==== '''Contribution to the SuSanA sustainability criteria:''' ====
'''Environment and natural resources:''' With locally available materials a water-saving solution is provided by the project.
'''Technology and operation:''' The cocopeat wastewater system is a sustainable and an appropriate technology in areas without reliable water supply, where enough local plants-material is available.
==== '''Project details:''' ====
'''Type of project: ''' cocopeat biofilter secondary treatment system
'''Project period: ''' 2011 -
'''Start of operation: ''' Putatan Elementary School - Started November, 2011 and still running strong. Muntinlupa Science High School- January 2012.
[[File:Coco3.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Coco3]]
'''Address of project location: ''' two schools in Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila, Philippines
'''Planning institution: ''' RTI International, Muntinlupa City in the Philippines: local city environmental officer
'''Executing institution: ''' RTI International, Muntinlupa City in the Philippines: local city environmental officer
'''''RTI International''' is one of the world’s leading nonprofit research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. Our staff of more than 3,700 provides research and technical expertise to governments and businesses in more than 75 countries.''
'''Financially supporting agency: ''' Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges Explorations initiative
'''===Contact:'''===
[[File:RTI2.jpg|right|200px|link=https://www.rti.org/]]
[[File:B&M Gates.png|right|200px|link=http://www.gatesfoundation.org/]]
Senior water and sanitation specialist at RTI and the project’s director
Email: {{No spam|dmrobbins10 [at] |gmail.com, dmrobbins10 [at] gmail.com, drobbins [at] rti.org, }}<br> {{No spam|drobbins [at] |rti.org}}
Water and Environment for Development, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Mr Jet Pabilonia, environmental officer of Muntinlupa City