Integrated Water Supply and Wastewater Solutions for the Town of Puerto Ayora on the Island of Santa Cruz – The Galapagos Islands – Ecuador

The Town of Puerto Ayora, on the southeast corner of the Island of Santa Cruz, is the largest urban community in the Galapagos Islands. Largely as a result of immigration from the mainland, the population of the Town has exploded over the last 10 years from 6,000 to almost 15,000. The world-renowned Charles Darwin Research Station is located immediately adjacent to the eastern Town boundary. The existing groundwater supply is of poor chemical and bacteriological quality, and the distribution system is very precarious. The wastewater is disposed of directly to the ground with virtually no treatment. Considering the extremely harsh geological/physical environment of the island, the limited economic conditions of the people, and the environmental significance of the location, the project objective was to develop an integrated approach, combining both water and wastewater solutions, to alleviate the unsatisfactory health conditions, and improve the quality of life for the citizens, while preserving the sensitive surrounding environment..