OSWER/OSRTI

Washington, DC 20460

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) 

***Proposed Site*** October 2010 

CABO ROJO GROUNDWATER 

CONTAMINATION

Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico

 Site Location:

The Cabo Rojo Ground Water Contamination site, which consists of a ground water plume with no identified source(s) of

contamination, is located in the municipality of Cabo Rojo, in southwestern Puerto Rico. 

 Site History:

Quarterly ground water samples collected by Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) from 2002 to 2006

indicated the presence of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) in public supply wells within the Cabo Rojo 

Urbano System, in particular the Ana Maria well. Ground water samples collected by EPA in July 2006 and September 

2009 confirmed the presence of PCE and TCE in the Ana Maria well. In an effort to identify the source of contamination

from November 2006 through June 2007, EPA conducted site reconnaissance activities at 68 facilities and collected soil 

and ground water samples from 13 facilities. Although EPA did not identify the source of ground water contamination in 

the public supply wells, chlorinated solvents were detected at three facilities: D’Elegant Fantastic Dry Cleaners, Extasy Q 

Prints, and Cabo Rojo Professional Dry Cleaners. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants:

Chlorinated solvents (i.e., PCE, TCE, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, and 1,1-dichloroethene) are present in drinking water wells 

(i.e., Ana Maria and Club de Leones) in Cabo Rojo. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment: 

The Cabo Rojo Urbano public water system consists of six wells (Hacienda la Margarita, Cabo Rojo Pozo I, Cabo Rojo 

Pozo II, Cabo Rojo Pozo III, Club de Leones, and Ana Maria) serving approximately 48,453 people. The Ana Maria well 

acts as an independent system that serves approximately 1,856 persons, while the Club de Leones well is interconnected 

with the remaining wells. The ground water contamination lies within a designated Wellhead Protection Area.

 Response Activities (to date):

In 2006, EPA launched a Site Discovery Initiative (SDI) in Cabo Rojo to identify possible sources of contamination. EPA 

conducted site reconnaissance activities at 68 facilities within the municipality of Cabo Rojo. In 2007, EPA completed 

Preliminary Assessment/Site Inspection (PA/SI) reports at 15 properties, 13 of which included the collection of soil and 

ground water samples. 

 Need for NPL Listing:

Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated, but are not viable at this time. EPA received a letter of support 

for placing this site on the NPL from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change 

as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.]

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these 

substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet 

at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.