Located on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica is the small community of Piedras Blancas. Insufficient wastewater treatment has left some people in the community riddled with dengue fever, hepatitis, and other health issues. A global initiative by Central States Water Environment Association (CSWEA) is now seeking to change all of that.

The initiative was launched by CSWEA in 2013 to assist in solving environmental issues and
water treatment problems not only in Piedras Blancas but also around the world. Comprised of
members with skills and experience as water treatment and environmental professionals,
CSWEA is working to improve the lives and health of individuals who do not have the resources
to tackle such problems on their own. Piedras Blancas, Costa Rica was the first project
identified by CSWEA.

Primarily comprised of palm plantation workers, the village of Piedras Blancas is situated just
north of the Piedras Blancas National Park along the Osa Peninsula, about 180 kilometers from
San Jose.

While the village shelters 100 crowded homes, there is no wastewater system. Most
of the homes, each of which is about 500 square feet in size, do have septic systems onsite, but
there are no functional leaching fields.

Consequently, sewage and grey water that overflows the
septic tanks ultimately ends up in the street as well as the storm water system that flows into the
nearby river. Residents of Piedras Blancas are well aware of the need not to swim in the river
due to the potential for disease.

CSWEA is now working to develop a wastewater solution for the community of Piedras Blancas.
Involved in the solution will be graduate students from the University of Illinois, University of
Wisconsin, and other student chapters of CSWEA.

Used as a design challenge, the project will allow students to work with professional mentors as they strive to develop an innovative solution for the community of Piedras Blancas. Solutions will be presented in the spring of 2015.

The winning design will need to be finalized prior to being submitting for permitting and
construction in the local community. Once the final design is selected, CSWEA will work with
Costa Rica’s Ministry of water along with local municipal leaders to implement the solution.

Community involvement will be integral to ensuring that the selected solution can be
constructed inexpensively. Costa Rica’s Manos a la Obra program, which allows unemployed
individuals to work within communities in exchange for a salary paid by the government, will
also be tapped to assist with completion of the project.

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.