Clark Freeport Zone has broken ground on a ₱674-million wastewater treatment facility designed to keep critical sanitation infrastructure in step with the area’s rapid commercial buildout. The 10-million-liter-per-day (MLD) plant will expand the existing Clark Centralized Wastewater Treatment Facility, bolstering capacity for both current locators and incoming investors in the former air base, now one of Luzon’s key economic hubs.

The project is being implemented by Clark Water Corp. in partnership with Clark Development Corp. (CDC), which manages the Clark Freeport Zone and Clark Special Economic Zone spanning Pampanga and Tarlac. CDC President and Chief Executive Officer Agnes VST Devanadera framed the expansion as central to Clark’s long-term strategy, linking it to the zone’s positioning as a “gateway to the Luzon Economic Corridor.” She underscored that while wastewater systems are largely out of sight, they underpin public health, environmental protection and, ultimately, investor confidence.

To meet rising demand and tighter environmental standards, the new facility will deploy Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) technology with Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR). An SBR is a fill-and-draw activated sludge system that processes wastewater in batches within a single tank, cycling through fill, react, settle and draw phases. This configuration allows BNR — the use of specialized microbes to remove nitrogen and phosphorus — to be integrated without separate secondary clarifiers, a setup aimed at improving treatment efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Manila Water Chief Operating Officer for the Non-East Zone Melvin Tan said the additional 10MLD capacity is intended not only to address current sewerage needs in the Clark Freeport Zone but also to ensure that future developments can be supported without straining sanitation services. CDC officials said the project followed technical studies and coordination to match the treatment system with the Freeport’s specific requirements. Representatives from CDC, Clark Water, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau in Region III, Manila Water Infratech Solutions, Hydroguard Systems Corp., and other partners joined the groundbreaking, signaling broad institutional backing for an infrastructure upgrade seen as vital to sustaining Clark’s growth trajectory.