Sewage and Wastewater on the Peninsula
Sewage on the Santa Elena Peninsula is collected by Aguapen EP and treated in oxidation lagoons — shallow ponds where sunlight and bacteria slowly break the waste down. There is no conventional wastewater treatment plant in operation yet.
Coverage
| Area | Homes on the sewer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Salinas canton | 73% (2022) | Cabecera 75%, José Luis Tamayo 63%, Anconcito only 22% (65% with no service) |
| Santa Elena canton | 32.2% (2022) | About half the city (2019); rural areas 25–40% |
| La Libertad | About 70% (2015), aiming for 90% | Third phase of the sewer project |
Homes without a sewer use septic tanks, cesspits or latrines, which are rarely emptied.
The lagoons
- Punta Carnero (10.69 ha; 3 anaerobic + 4 facultative ponds) treats sewage from Salinas, José Luis Tamayo, Punta Carnero and La Libertad. A 2022 study found it receives more water than it was designed for. Its semi-treated water is pumped to irrigate farmland near the Velasco Ibarra dam. A treatment plant to replace it has been proposed.
- Other lagoon systems serve Santa Elena city, Ballenita, Anconcito, Ancón, Atahualpa, Ayangue, Colonche, El Tambo, Montañita, San Antonio, San Pablo and Valdivia.
Montañita's treatment plant
A treatment plant for Montañita — the first in Santa Elena canton — has been under construction since 2021. It has been delayed several times, so check local news for its current status.
Storm drains
Storm drains are rare: about 30% of central Salinas has them, and the province as a whole had almost none in 2015. After heavy rain, low streets flood and the first flush of the drains can foul beaches — as at San Lorenzo, Salinas, during Carnival 2020.
See also
Sources: PDOT Salinas 2023–2027 (pp. 141–146); PDOT cantón Santa Elena (pp. 96, 105–107); PDOT Provincia de Santa Elena 2015–2019 (pp. 217–219).