Improvements to the Water Supply, Wastewater Disposal and Solid Waste Management Systems for the La Cuesta Community in Coamo, Puerto Rico

Abstract

Non-PRASA communities are known for their limitations to connect to potable water and sewer systems from the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA). These types of communities normaly 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 La Cuesta, a rural community located in the Pasto ward in the Northeast of Coamo, which consists of 50 households. The community extracts its drinking water through a well system, located 1,050 feet above sea level. Wastewater management in the La Cuesta 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.