Sewage discharge pipe dumping waste into Cozumel aquifer discovered

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The freshwater aquifer is connected to the coral reefs of the island.

COZUMEL, Q. Roo.- “Deep sewage injection pipe. And still, with this they don’t believe that the reef is sick and deserves a rest?” With this phrase and a video denounces Germán Yáñez Mendoza contamination of groundwater in Cozumel Island.

The speleologist published on his Facebook account the discovery of a pipeline through which a hotel complex south of the island discharges its wastewater directly to the underground fresh water aquifer, which are connected to the coral reefs that at this time they are attacked and die by the White Syndrome.

Resultado de imagen para hoteleros vierten aguas negras en arrecifes de cozumel

Asked about the location of this sewage pipe, the discoverer of more than eight new cave species for science, including crustaceans, echinoderms, sponges; He did not mention the exact place and the provenance for not obstructing the investigations since he has already notified the authorities to take action on the matter.

He only said that he made this finding in the southern part of the island while diving in a cave flooded in the area and that it is a tube of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with a diameter of five to six inches at a depth of 12 meters under the surface. “At that depth we found them but the tube is still deeper,” he said.

At the end of March this year the author of publications in scientific journals such as Marine Ecology, Karst Journal, NAUI Sources, Underwater Speleology and NACD Underwater Cave Journal, denounced this practice in an interview for this media outlet in which he warned of pollution even under the urban spot of the island with this same method.

As you will remember, the Cozumel Reef Marine Park (PMAC) announced that it restricted access to three reef areas in the polygonal of that Protected Natural Area (ANP) to protect it from the White Syndrome progress on September 23.

One of the possible causes of the White Syndrome that has already affected more than 50 percent of the corals of the PMAC, are the discharges of sewage from beach clubs, hotels, and residences on the west coast of the island.

The measure was effective as of October 7 and will last until December 15, 2019, suspending all kinds of tourist and recreational activities in the southern portion of the park.

The sites where the suspension is applied occupy 21 percent of the 14 most visited reef complexes in Cozumel, said Itzel Adriana Arista Cárdenas, in charge of the Department of Culture for Conservation of the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) on the island .

The points available for diving and snorkeling are Paradise, Las Palmas, Dzul Ha, Chan Kana’ab mountain range, Chan Kana’ab bolones, Tormentos, Playa Corona, Yucab, San Clemente, Punta Tunich, Cardona, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Paso del Cedral, La Francesa and Delilah. Similarly, the Wreck C-53 “Felipe Xicoténcatl”.

Source: sipse.com

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