- Read Emily Beckman’s report on the Costa Rica trip »
- Read David Marsh’s report on the Costa Rica trip »
- Read Cody Sain’s report on the trip »
The Alternative Spring Break for 2015 took place from March 14–21, in the town of El Jaz, Costa Rica. This marks the third trip by TCE’s Global Initiatives to the country. Taking the trip with International Coordinator Judith Mallory were Emily Beckman, aerospace engineering major; MaryBeth Iannuzzi, David Marsh, and Haley Register, mechanical engineering majors; Jessica Boles, electrical engineering major; and Cody Sain, microbiology major.
After landing in the capital, San Jose, the group traveled by van about an hour and a half away to the town of Orosi. The actual location of the project and accommodations was in El Yaz, a small town in the Orosi Valley. Most meals were prepared from fresh food on site and were largely vegetarian. Several dinners were served at homes of relatives of the family who would be getting a new septic system, the group’s project for the week. Accommodations were in two mountaintop houses with sweeping views of the valley. Fred and Matilda, resident peacocks, provided morning alarm clock service throughout the week.
A local family nearby had a failed, old and improperly-installed septic system. The TCE group was charged with replacing the system, under the guidance of the homeowner, Gustavo. A volunteer group who had visited the previous week had done a great deal of the digging of trenches for the new pipe, as well as two much larger holes for the tank and runoff, but there was much digging left, and all of this had to be done by hand.
The old system had black and gray water running separately to a single, undersized tank in the home’s front yard. The new design involved running the lines as one downhill to a better location with proper fall and a properly-sized tank. The old pipe from the house was connected to a “t” and new PVC waste pipe, which took the waste line downhill. On the way, it ran through a concrete contraption with two compartments, one partially filled with water, which would serve the same purpose as a vent pipe does for bathrooms in the United States.
In addition, a concrete grease trap was installed just outside of the kitchen; this can be cleaned in the future for maximum flow from the kitchen to the septic tank.
The group removed the old line in the front yard and left the existing tank in place. Concrete had to be mixed by hand for the joints at the vent pipe/box and grease trap. The two large holes in the ground were across a small concrete walkway which led to other relatives’ homes. The first hole would hold the actual tank, which was enormous and weighed around 500 lbs. Several inches of gravel were poured in the hole first, to help keep the tank level. The tank had to be set just right, in order to align with the waste pipe which would later join it.
From there, another pipe will spill into the lower hole, which the group filled with large volcanic rock, brought in by wheelbarrow.
On the last day, the group affixed the lid to the tank, effectively rendering the plumbing operational, once the water was turned back on. Bacteria introduced into the tank will serve to start the process of breaking down the waste, and the volcanic rock will serve as another filter, before the treated water is released further down the line into a green field. By the end of the week, all that needed to be completed was one more layer of rock into the second hole, and both holes refilled/covered with soil.
In addition to the project, the group was able to participate in activities in its free time. A tour of the Orosi Valley included a look at the Cachi Dam, which was created to generate hydroelectric power by damming el Rio Reventazon. This created Lago de Cachi, or Cachi Lake. About 95% of Costa Rica’s power is hydroelectric. The group stopped at the Iglesia de San Jose de Orosi, Costa Rica’s oldest extant church, which contained a small museum of religious art.
Along the tour, the group stopped at the Mirador (outlook) de Orosi, overlooking the old community of Ujarras. Later, they observed the actual ruins at Ujarras, the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Limpia Concepcion, dating from 1693, mostly destroyed by a flood in the 1800s. They toured the city of Cartago (from the Spanish word for Carthage), the first city of Costa Rica and the original Colonial capital, which contains Central America’s most significant Basilica.
The Alternative Spring Break group from 2013 visited Cartago and this site as well.
Other activities included a visit to the Balnearios Termales Orosi (hot springs), a coffee farm, and a visit to the Artisan’s Market in San Jose. In addition, they saw the Volcan Poas (Poaz Volcano), which is part of the most-visited national park in the country. On the way back into town, the group experienced the Artisan’s market in San Jose. The Turrialba Volcano had a significant eruption the week prior to the group’s visit, enough to close the airport for one day, but was relatively quiet during the week.