Please help us support NP Waterkeeper in the important work that they are doing!
Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeeper® is a non-profit grassroots organization based in Santa Teresa, a highly touristic surf town on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast. Over the past decade, the beautiful beach and laid-back lifestyle have attracted an increasing number of tourists. This trend has accelerated since the pandemic. Lack of basic infrastructure—such as a government-led water treatment facility— inefficiency of the municipal waste collection and disposal system, combined with limited capacity for law enforcement, low levels of education and environmental awareness, have resulted in increasing amounts of wastewater and solid waste, further polluting the water as tourism continues to rise.
NP Waterkeeper® works together with the local community on various projects to reduce water pollution by identifying the issues and providing solutions for the community to adopt.
In 2019, in alliance with Bionic®, an engineering company that transforms plastics into durable materials, we created a new recycling culture by building and running a recycling center with weekly collection routes. In 2024, we collected 247 tons of recyclable materials. Regarding organic waste management, our efforts in 2024 have prevented 878 tons of organic waste from ending up in a landfill.
With the financial contribution of community members, we launched The Beach Cleanup project in 2023, aiming to reduce the amount of marine litter through weekly clean-ups, while also ensuring proper disposal and repurposing of the collected material. Through the technology developed by the CRDC, the deteriorated plastic our team collects is transformed into RESIN8 - synthetic sand made with 80% tragic plastic - which construction company Pedregal uses to manufacture blocks and tiles for construction. As of October 2024, 16.5 tons of tragic plastic have been collected and repurposed!
Our activities are driven by data and evidence, which is why we conduct monthly water quality monitoring of local rivers and biannual ocean water testing. While this provides useful trend data, we urgently need support to enhance our monitoring capacity for more accurate results to offer solutions to redress wastewater pollution. New water testing equipment will enable us to test for fecal contamination WEEKLY at the most populated points! The results will be freely available to locals and visitors via the SwimGuide App, informing safe beach access year-round and raising awareness among local businesses and residents, encouraging them to improve their water treatment systems.
General knowledge of wastewater treatment is very low. To address this, we created a Wastewater Treatment Guide that outlines the treatment process, system’s design, maintenance, and provides contact information for products and service providers. We also partnered with Eco Soluciones, which collects grease from grease traps and converts it into compost. In 2024, 46 tons of grease and oils were properly processed, preventing water pollution and ensuring the proper functioning of treatment systems.
Furthermore, through consulting, we support local efforts to reduce water pollution and advocate for improved practices. We believe in creating strong alliances locally and internationally so that the network of aware individuals becomes bigger and stronger, creating a space of shared experiences that sets an example. In order to achieve our goal of clean water in this small piece of paradise, we need your support. Please consider donating to Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeeper®!
For more information, you can check our 2024 annual report and visit our website.
All donations to the NP Waterkeeper Fund are tax-deductible in the U.S. and you get a receipt immediately upon donating.
If you have any questions or are interested in donating via other methods (wire transfer, securities, crypto), feel free to reach out to us at info@nicoyapeninsulafoundation.org.