Improvements to the water supply, wastewater disposal, and solid waste management systems for La Montaña and Cerrote Communities, Yauco, P.R.

Abstract

Cerrote and La Montaña are two rural communities located in the mountain parts of Puerto Rico; with a total population of 242 inhabitants. Currently, two separate dams provide water that is consumed by the communities. The water does not comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) since it is not filtered. At Cerrote there is an ineffective disinfection system, while there is none at La Montaña. The sewage generated at each housing unit is disposed either in septic tanks/cesspools or directly over the terrain. The solid wastes are handled by the Yauco Municipality and disposed at the town sanitary landfill. Several alternatives were analyzed in order to improve the water supply, wastewater, and solid waste management systems. The selected options were: a slow sand filter, two-chamber septic tanks with distribution box and percolation trenches, and a recycling program and an aerobic composting system. These are the most feasible options from an environmental, public health, sustainability, and economical perspective.