Section 903. Wastewater Disposal System.

(a) Sanitary sewage from buildings and neutralized or

pretreated industrial wastewater shall be discharged directly into the nearest street sanitary sewer main
of existing municipal or city sanitary sewerage system in accordance with the criteria set by the Code on
Sanitation and the National Pollution Control Commission.

(b) All buildings located in areas where there are no available sanitary sewerage system shall dispose
their sewage "Imhoff" or septic tank and subsurface absorption filed.

(c) Sanitary and industrial plumbing installations inside buildings and premises shall conform to the
provisions of the National Plumbing Code.

Section 904. Storm Drainage System. (a) Rain water drainage shall not discharge to the sanitary sewer
system.

(b) Adequate provisions shall be made to drain low areas in buildings and their premises.

NATIONAL BUILDING CODE

Drainage and Waste Disposal

i. Flammable or combustible liquids spilled at the loading or unloading areas shall not be directly
discharged into the public sewer and drainage system or natural waterways. Grading driveways
or intercepting canals with trench grating connected to separator pits and/or other equally
effective means shall be constructed.
ii. ii. Used or accumulated residues of flammable or combustible liquids shall not be dumped on
the ground, into sewers, drainage ditches or storm drains, but shall be stored in tanks or tight
drums outside of any building until removed from the premises.
iii. iii. In buildings, rooms or other confined spaces in which flammable or combustible liquids are
stored, no combustible waste materials shall be allowed to accumulate.

DIVISION 1. WATER AND WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS

SECTION 10.5.1.1 SCOPE This Division shall cover the fire safety measures and explosion prevention at
water and waste water treatment units, plants or facilities, including but not limited to their unit
processes and operations, such as collection and pumping, liquid and solid treatment systems, and
related appurtenances, service areas and premises. SECTION 10.5.1.2 GENERAL SAFETY PRACTICES A.
Basic control procedures shall be adopted by the plant owner or operator to minimize potential fire and
explosion incidents in water or waste water treatment plants, and shall be contained in the Fire and Life-
safety Assessment Report (FALAR) as prerequisite for the issuance of fire clearances and/or Fire Safety
Inspection Certificates by the City/Municipal Fire Marshal having jurisdiction. It shall include hazard
evaluation, process and equipment controls, ventilation, materials of construction, and education. B.
Observance of fundamental electrical safety practices shall be pursued by the plant owner or operator
through proper electrical classification of hazardous locations, and the proper selection, installation, and
operation of electrical equipment, motors, and devices that are suitable for these locations. Electrical
systems, devices and installations, and its operations and maintenance shall comply with the Philippine
Electrical Code and manufacturer’s instructions and in cases where applicable, with the NFPA 70,
National Electrical Code and other internationally accepted standards. C. The plant owner or operator or
their duly authorized representatives shall ensure that the handling of chemicals, fuels and materials
used, including but not limited to solvents, oxidizing materials, chlorine, lime, hydrogen, oxygen,
acetylene, petroleum liquids, oils, and a variety of chemicals and specialty gases used in treatment
processes, laboratory analyses and instrumentation calibration, and generated wastes in or around
water or waste water treatment plants that present potential hazards of fire and explosion, shall be
made in compliance with the applicable provisions of this IRR.

SECTION 10.5.1.3 HAZARD EVALUATION A. A hazard evaluation shall be initiated early in the design
process and hazard prevention and protection recommendations shall be integrated into plant process
specifications and design considerations. B. Identification of potential hazards associated with the raw
water or raw waste water entering the plant, the materials used in the treatment processes, and
materials or wastes produced by the treatment processes and operations shall be completely
understood and evaluated. C. Risk evaluation shall prescribe specific control measures to be
incorporated at the design stage of the plant, as well as during the operation and maintenance of the
plant. These measures shall include, but not limited to, address fail-safe design, emergency controls,
redundant instrumentation, occurrence of leaks and spills, venting and pressure relief systems, pipe and
equipment support, anchorage and vibration prevention, and damage limiting construction in relation to
fire and/or explosion. D. Special attention shall be given to more potential hazards associated with fuel
gases, sewer and sludge gases, specialty gases, liquids, solids, dusts, their mixture or when mixed or
reacted with oxygen or other gases, construction and maintenance materials, repairs and hotworks as
sources of ignition, fire and/or explosion. As a result of this evaluation, a written plant safety plan shall
be prepared and carried out through an integrated safety program, done and implemented in close
coordination with the Office of the City/Municipal Fire Marshal having jurisdiction. E. The evaluation
shall be reviewed and updated periodically as conditions at the plant change. A report shall be prepared
and maintained by the plant operator/owner and shall be made available to the Office of the
City/Municipal Fire Marshal having jurisdiction.

SECTION 10.5.1.4 PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT CONTROL A. Plant processes and equipment operations
manuals shall be prepared and made available at all times to plant technicians and/or operators at their
respective stations, readily made accessible for reference, even to the member of the BFP conducting
inspections. These manuals shall identify or prescribed control of fire and explosions, covering among
others the removal of possible accumulation of source of fuel or explosive materials, limitation of
oxygen required for combustion, removal of sources of ignition, and means of fire suppression and
explosion venting (prevention) and shielding (protection), as well as emergency evacuation when
applicable. B. Identification of different potential sources of ignition shall be considered in each part of
the plant system, whether collection, liquid treatment, solid treatment, or fuel and chemical handling.
Control of ignition resulting from one or more causes, such as open flames and hot surfaces, electrical
arcs, sparks, or chemical reactions, shall be covered by the abovementioned manuals and shall comply
with the applicable provisions of this IRR and/or in applicable cases by therein adopted Code of Practices
prescribed by the manufacturer or internationally accepted standards. C. To address control and/or
reduce the potential for ignition within the plant, the following measures are prescribed: 1. All entry
sites within a plant, collection system, manholes, pumping stations and other facilities shall be properly
protected from unauthorized entries. It shall be provided with appropriate security system and
protection, by or in combination of security fencing, lockable gates/doors, at least two (2) hours fire
rated compartmentation, posting of guards and/or installation of electronic video camera monitoring
system as applicable, and made accessible only to authorized personnel and/or persons in authority. 2.
Introduction of ignition sources at these sites as well as other parts of the plant shall be limited and
regulated by an accepted life and safety procedural guidelines, supervised by a certified safety
practitioner. As a general rule, introduction of ignition sources in these sites or areas shall be limited
and adequate ventilation shall always be provided. Provided further, in cases where hotworkss or repair,
rehabilitation, maintenance and other related activities that may introduce ignition are carried in a
water or waste water treatment plant, an appropriate Fire Safety Clearance shall first be secured from
City/Municipal Fire Marshal having jurisdiction. 3. Application of removal by vacuum or coverage with
foam shall be necessary in event that a foreign combustible material enters the sewer system. 4.
Chemicals and fuels shall always be stored in accordance with applicable provisions of this IRR and/or
manufacturer’s instructions or international acceptable standards as adopted in the plant. Reactive
chemicals shall always be stored separately with the foregoing reference to safety standards. In cases of
having two or more degrees of safety, the most stringent degree of requirement shall prevail.
 SECTION 10.5.1.5 VENTILATION A. Ventilation rates for enclosed spaces containing used water or waste
water exposed to the atmosphere shall be based on the calculated vaporization rate of the most volatile
liquid anticipated to be present in the plant. B. In considering ventilation requirements, the designer
shall base his calculations upon the surface area of channels, tanks, or other vessels containing the used
water or waste water exposed to atmosphere, the temperature of used water or waste water, the
ambient air temperature, and the vaporization rate of the volatile liquid. Allowance shall be made for
vaporization of volatile liquid from the free water surface in connecting sewers within a reasonable
distance from the structure, turbulence that may accelerate vaporization of the volatile liquid,
inefficiency of the ventilation system in purging the enclosures, and any other factors that the designer
could reasonably expect to effect the rate of release of the flammable vapour to the structure. C.
Ventilation rate shall conform to Table 33 which presents typical ventilation rates for various areas in
the treatment plants or shall be based on actual calculations whichever is greater. In reference to the
said table, the following notes shall be considered: 1. The superscript (1) - prescribed the installation of
combustible gas detector and alarm system to monitor and provide warnings for the explosive level of
the confined combustible vapors. 2. The ventilation rates prescribed above are considered to be the
minimum necessary for protection against combustible vapors. 3. Ventilation rates shall be increased
above those recommended if unusual accumulations of volatile combustible liquid or combustible
vapors are expected or if toxic gases may be present.

Table 33: MINIMUM VENTILATION RATES IN WATER AND WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS

Description Ventilation Rates Wet wells, screen rooms, and other enclosed spaces with used water or
waste water exposed to atmosphere(1) 15 air changes per hour Rooms or spaces intended for storage or
conveyance of used water or waste water solids, (e.g., grits, sludge, hardened or cakes of fats and
grease, etc.) 12 air changes per hour Equipment rooms, tunnels, and other below grade spaces. 12 air
changes per hour or 40 km/min velocity in tunnels or galleries • With gas piping and/or gas handling
equipment(1) • With diesel fuel or other volatile combustible liquid tanks, pumps and supply piping(1)
Without gas piping 10 air changes per hour or 27 km/min velocity in tunnels or galleries

SECTION 10.5.1.6 MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION

A. For the purpose of this IRR, the selection and/or usage of materials for the construction of treatment
plants shall require the understanding of its classification and suitability of its application as divided in
three basic categories, such as: (1) combustible, (2) non-combustible, and (3) limited combustibility, and
shall comply with NFPA 220, Standards Types of Building Construction, or applicable internationally
accepted standards for treatment plants.

B. Construction materials being considered for treatment plants shall be selected based on the fire
hazard and fire risk evaluation. The application of these materials shall be based on the reduction or
elimination of the effects of fire or explosion by maintaining structural integrity, controlling fire spread
and smoke generation, preventing the release of toxic products of combustion, and maintaining
serviceability and operation of the facility.

C. All buildings or unit processes that are considered critical to the integrity of treatment plants shall be
of non-combustible type and shall be constructed in accordance with the National Building Code of the
Philippines. Fire safety measures in buildings as prescribed in this IRR and other internationally
accepted standards shall also be observed.
D. In specific cases for waste water treatment plants, notwithstanding the applicability of some
provisions to water treatment plants for similar applications, the following prescriptions shall strictly be
observed:

1. Sewers that handle or may handle flammable or hazardous materials shall be of non-combustible
materials.

2. Manholes, factory-built pumping stations, and other structures entered by personnel that handle raw
or partially treated waste water shall be constructed only of non-combustible materials.

3. Non-combustible materials shall be used for air supply and exhaust systems. Provided, in cases when
combustible or limited combustible materials are used to control corrosion, approved smoke and fire
dampers shall be installed. A separate smoke ventilation system shall be preferred; however, smoke
venting shall be allowed as integrated into normal ventilation system using automatic or manually
positioned dampers and motor speed control.

4. No cellular or foamed plastic materials shall be used as interior finish. Interior finishes shall provide a
maximum degree of fire resistance, with minimum flame spread rate and smoke generation for
particular application. This information shall be secured from material manufacturers and supported by
test certificates attesting to its validity. 5. In cases of plastic or fibreglass-reinforced plastic products
and/or materials of construction in unit process, such as rotating biological contactors, bio-towers,
filters or trickling filters, inclined plate or tube settlers, ventilation ducts, and other equipment which
may be subject to corrosion, extreme care shall be taken with open flames, such as cutting torches,
during maintenance or repair operations, as these materials may present a considerable fuel load, if
ignited.
DEFINITION:

Waste Water. Liquid waste generated by human activities that use water and/or those water that come
from residential, commercial, institutional, recreational, industrial, agricultural and other facilities,
similar occupancies and related activities.

Waste Water Treatment Plants. Single or compact or multi-stage units and/or combination of unit
processes and operation systems, including but not limited to their facilities, appurtenances, service
areas and premises, for the treatment of used water or waste water generated by residential,
recreational, institutional, commercial and industrial and other similar occupancies and related
activities that required the removal and/or reduction of contaminants and/or pollutants or
improvement of its quality to comply with effluent water quality standards of receiving body of water or
environment as prescribed by the concerned government agency.