EPA finalizes plan for Corozal Well Superfund site groundwater treatment

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its plan for groundwater treatment at the Corozal Well Superfund site in Corozal, Puerto Rico, which will utilize a previously installed system and natural processes to ensure the safety of those using the well for drinking water.

The Puerto Rico Department of Health has found that the well, which serves a rural community spread between the Corozal and Naranjito municipalities, was contaminated with tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in 2010. This puts the local residents, who are not connected to the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority water supply, vulnerable to medical problems like liver damage and an increased risk of cancer.

To address the situation, the EPA installed a granular activated carbon treatment system in March 2011, which strips the PCE out of the water as it flows through. Testing since 2013 suggests that the water quality meets drinking water standards.

“EPA was able to install this system to provide the community with water that is safe to drink — and that is of paramount importance to us,” EPA Region 2 Administrator Judith A. Enck said. “That system is working well, and EPA will keep operating it to protect people’s health.”

EPA testimony statements are found at www.epa.gov.