Background

The local water utility provided drinking water service to approximately 50% of the population but did not offer any wastewater collection or treatment services. Residents disposed of their wastewater in latrines and septic tanks. However, due to the relatively shallow water table and local soil type, deficient latrines and septic tanks tended to overflow posing a serious contamination risk for groundwater and the health of residents. The local water utility, with the support of the state water agency, proposed a project to build a comprehensive wastewater collection and treatment system to serve the entire community.

Project Scope

The project consisted of the construction a lagoon-based wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) with the capacity to treat 5.57 liters per second (lps) or 127,146 gallons per day (gpd), a lift station and force main to convey wastewater to the treatment plant, and the installation of 20.1 kilometers (12.5 miles) of sewer lines with diameters varying between 8 and 15 inches, along with 455 household connections.

Benefits

The project provided first-time wastewater collection and treatment service to the entire community, thus reducing potential health and environmental risks associated with raw sewage by eliminating the use of latrines and septic tanks.