Civil engineering students at B´ÎÔª have designed an award-winning wastewater treatment system for the Samara District, which is located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It includes a population of 6,000 in three communities: Cangrejal, Samara and Torito.

The communities rely heavily on tourism, and number of tourists (120,000) is projected to continue growing, along with the resident population. Currently, septic tanks are used to treat wastewater in this area but they are malfunctioning and becoming a public health hazard.