Improvements to the Water Supply, Wastewater Disposal and Solid Waste Management Systems for the Lupe Martí Community in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico

Abstract

Non-PRASA communities are known for their limitations to connections to potable water systems and sewer systems from the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA). These types of communities normally operate in conditions that challenge their opportunity of compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Drinking Water Regulations. The Community Development Engineering (CDE) team worked on the improvements for Lupe Martí, a rural community located in the Mirabales ward in the Southeast of San Sebastián, which consists of 78 households. The community extracts its drinking water through a wellspring system located 688 feet above sea level. Currently, the community's drinking water supply does not receive filtration or disinfection. Wastewater management in the Lupe Martí Community is an issue because the households do not have adequate septic tanks. In terms of solid waste management, CDE evaluated several ways to diverge generated waste from landfills and reduce the cycle of disproportionate generation and disposal. The alternatives that have been selected were focused on the wellbeing of the community, the environment, the feasibility of implementation of the project, and the economic factors that are attached to the project itself.