Abstract

It is essential to understand the environmental and social repercussions linked to the discharge of wastewater into bodies of water, an issue that has global effects. The study details the environmental disturbance through the evaluation of impacts on the El Guayabal water source, close to the urban center in a municipality in Colombia. In the project, the harm caused by human activities in the surroundings of the water source was identified. In addition, the characterization of the source and discharge was carried out to determine the status of the water in compliance with wastewater regulations. A matrix was developed to quantify the environmental impacts generated by these actions. The findings indicate that most of the parameters analyzed in the discharge exceed the limits established by Colombian regulations. Furthermore, the area surrounding the spill is affected by the aforementioned human activities. This underlines the urgency of developing strategies that contribute to reducing the generation of wastewater, emphasizing the need for environmental and municipal authorities to adopt projects that address the social dimension of this problem more comprehensively. These results show the importance of raising community awareness about the environmental and social implications of wastewater generation. Likewise, they highlight the need to implement concrete measures to reduce pollution of ecosystems, promoting the active participation of the population in the preservation of the environment, contributing to the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals.