Submitted Ideas

Reduce coastal pollution with small-scale wastewater treatment

Land-based sources of pollution are an issue around the world, particularly where there is no centralized sewage or stormwater system. In the Caribbean, small canals (often called ghauts), which may be concrete or earthen, carry this waste to coastal areas, resulting in eutrophication and health risks. Our water samples have shown coliform levels too high to be measured even after dilution. There is a need for a small-scale, low maintenance, affordable wastewater treatment system that could be installed in these ghauts. It would need to be able to withstand surges in flow due to hurricanes and also have a way to avoid being clogged by trash and debris.