Design of a sewage and wastewater treatment system for pollution mitigation in El Rosario, El Empalme, Ecuador

Abstract

Water sanitation is one of the biggest challenges nowadays. The sixth sustainable development goal of the 2030 agenda of the United Nations focuses on the importance of clean water and sanitation worldwide. El Rosario parish (Ecuador) was founded in 1991 and has never had a sanitary sewer system and a wastewater treatment system since. The households of the 47 hectares directly discharge domestic wastewater to a stream which flows into Daule river. This river is the primary source of drinking water for more than 4 million people that live in the province of Guayas. It implies problems with health, hygiene, and significant environmental impacts. This paper aims to develop a technical proposal for the design of sewerage and wastewater treatment, through technical analysis of the area of study, mitigating environmental and health impacts. The methodological process includes: (i) acquiring relevant data like current population, information related to the drinking water system and water supply, topography, weather, and water resources; (ii) layout of primary, secondary, and tertiary branches of the sanitary sewage system; (iii) calculation of the direction of nearby water resources’ drainage that lead the layout of primary and secondary branches of the storm sewage system; and (iv) analysis for the selection of the wastewater treatment system, capacity, location, and design. As a result, this work proposes the design of stabilization ponds implanted in 14.2 ha with 26 km of sanitary and storm sewer networks in a separative sewage system. In addition, the execution of the proposal is estimated for 9.5 months for a value of approximately USD 2,157,100.35. This solution will mitigate the pollution of the Daule river and improve the life quality of the inhabitants of the rural community.