The Santo Domingo Water and Sewer Corporation (CAASD) has started cleaning up the Guajimia Creek and its tributaries, thanks to a US$83 million loan from the Canadian government. The funds will also be used to construct 208 apartments for the residents of the Guajimia watershed. For more than 30 years the residents of the area have watched as the creek filled with garbage and other waste, and their homes have flooded after every rainstorm. The cleanup will benefit over 200,000 people in some of the poorest neighborhoods in Santo Domingo, like Herrera, Buenos Aires, Alameda, Juan Pablo Duarte, La Altagracia, La Rosa, Las Caobas and the area surrounding the Santo Domingo Country Club. The 36-month long process was kicked off by the head of the CAASD, Richard Martinez and officials from Canada, including Helene Guillot, Robert Forbes and the project manager, Rene Bourdages.
The Guajimia Creek is 13.58 kilometers long and drains into the Haina River to the west of Santo Domingo. It is the principal watershed and drainage for western Santo Domingo. In 1998 Hurricane Georges created havoc in the area, filling the creek with solid waste that has never been satisfactorily removed. The project will clean up the waters, shore up the creek banks, and eliminate the sources of domestic and industrial pollution.