AEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
National Priorities List (NPL)
* * *Proposed Site * * *
( ABO ROJO GROUND WATER
CONTAMINATION
OSWER/OSRTI
Washington, DC 20460
October 2010
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.
jx 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.
I Site Contamination/Contaminants:	
Chlorinated solvents (i.e., PCE, TCE, cis-l,2-dichloroethene, and 1,1-dichloroethene) are present in drinking water wells
(i.e., Ana Maria and Club de Leones) in Cabo Rojo.
rtft 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 n, Cabo Rojo Pozo HI, 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.
B 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 expo sure 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.

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