Drinking Water & Wastewater Research Projects, Reports, & Plans

Research Projects

In 2020, CBCC conducted a performance study of the most commonly used aerating onsite waste treatment systems and conventional septic tanks working with two contractors: Horsley-Witten Group (HW), an engineering and environmental consulting firm focused on sustainable water resource protection, who analyzed the data and wrote the final report and recommendations, and Ocean Systems Laboratory, Inc. (OSL), an EPA-certified lab that conducted the sample collection and analysis.

CBCC has received follow-on funding for additional testing and analysis of drinking water and wastewater systems, particularly focused on education for homeowner maintenance of these systems.Many island-specific variables influence the performance of these systems, including seasonal rainfall extremes, frequent power outages, seasonal/rental use and maintenance challenges.

The 2020 Drinking Water & Wastewater Systems Performance Study will help find out how effectively these technologies are reducing contaminants such as nitrogen and E. Coli fecal bacteria that can pollute our environment and affect our health. CBCC will also be conducting research on coastal water and groundwater quality.

This wastewater treatment performance study is a part of CBCC’s Phase 2 project to implement recommendations from the 2015 Coral Bay Potable Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Plans and 2019 Advancing Onsite Wastewater Treatment in the USVI: An Evaluation of Current Usage and Emerging Technologies on St. John, USVI (Phase 1) Report.

Reports

The Advancing Onsite Wastewater Treatment in the USVI: An Evaluation of Current Usage and Emerging Technologies on St. John, USVI (Phase I) Report research project was to better understand the history, performance and management practices of current and new/alternative onsite wastewater treatment systems (OSDS) in Coral Bay.

The Coral Bay Community Council CARE Project: Cistern Water Quality Testing & Results in Coral Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands report summarizes CBCC’s basic cistern water quality testing conducted in 2010-2011 to assess the following questions:

  • Are there contaminants in our cistern water?
  • Can such a water supply be trusted to be meet drinking water standards?

Research efforts were supported by an EPA Community Action for Renewed Environment (CARE) grant awarded to CBCC.

Plans

The Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Planning project was a planning activity, undertaken in 2013-2015, designed to analyze the future capacity for potable water supply and wastewater treatment in Coral Bay, and provide valuable guidance to residents. The plan documents outline existing and future demands for water supply and wastewater treatment, surface and groundwater resources, and options for Coral Bay’s current and future water supply and wastewater treatment that will respect the environment. Click on cover pages above to view and download plans and posters. Feel free to print and share this useful information.