Possible southern reef closure

[ggunn]

My home is on a septic system and sure as heck didn't put a garbage disposal in my kitchen sink when I built it.

FWIW, the third or fourth time I had to have the plumbing at my house here in Austin unclogged professionally I asked the plumber about garbage disposal devices. He said that he would never have one in his house. He did, however, give me some pieces of advice, one of which was to never put eggshells in them. Eggshell is just limestone and even pulverized it settles out in the pipes.

 

[PDX Diver]

So they are basically keeping all people out of the least affected areas to see the effect. Most likely the disease will spread unabated, the onus be lifted from divers and the areas reopened to bear witness to the sad demise. I feel fortunate to have experienced Cozumel diving before this catastrophe.

Regarding harmful sunscreen; a handful of divers mostly in full wet suits versus a catamaran loaded with snorkelers in swimsuits. No comparison...

 

[cvchief]

But there will be a whole lotta lionfish hunting when they reopen....

 

[Manatee Diver]

Boats and toilet water: Campers and personal boats, at least on inland lakes have porta potties that get pumped out. Say you have a 50' personal boat, ocean going type thing - what do they do with their waste, sink water and toilet water? The small dive boats out of south Florida with a porta potty, or the Cozumel boats with porta potties - they pump those out in port correct I hope??

At least in the US that goes into a holding tank. You have to be out in at least 3 miles off shore before you can discharge any waste, and most smaller boat don't have a discharge port.

In Japan the waste is discharged directly overboard, I found that gross, and only peeped in it.

 

[gopbroek]

I have heard (secondhand I personally not been down to see it) that it looked like zip line towers were going in on the property near the Palancar pier. Anyone know anything and if this area gets developed into another cruise ship excursion how will the waste be handled?

 

[Ron Lee]

Define "dispose of properly". Does your garbage collection agency reveal what really happens to the things it collects?

Think of what life would be like if we each had to dig our own hole in our backyard to hide our garbage.

It is called a landfill. I have been to it. Any other questions?

 

[Charred]

I am almost certain that ALL the southern AI's and Beach clubs are more of a problem than the cruise ships.

Since the early nineties if you pooped there, it stayed there. On the other hand, in town you cannot build a house without a sewer connection for many years. And I have reason to suspect that they adequately treat the sewage, but maybe not with the growth of the last 10 years.

It is right for all of you to question those southern resorts about their sanitation systems. I'd bet most of them are the problem.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

This sounds like a Cozumel problem not a southern AI problem. Are sewer connections available to the southern AIs and they are simply refusing to hook up to them?

It sounds like Cozumel has been in a free for all development model for decades and this is now impacting natural resources. It is probably a good thing they have diversified away from diving and tourists into the cruise ship model.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Scubaboarders,

This started just to be a comment on the landfill, but after deep thought with my love for Cozumel over the last three decades, I've expanded it to what I really think is going on.

First the (so calledsanitary landfill) is on the east side, just inland from the highway, about halfway from Rahstas to Mecalitos. I you have traveled the east side you probably have seen trash trucks pouring in.The good news, maybe, if the crap filters into the aquifer it will flow into the east side .

I also know that they do have a working sewage plant on the road to Isla Passion, although I have no idea if it is undersized, or if they have added capacity or actually made it modern treatment. As well, with growth in Cozumel city you cannot build a new house without connecting to the sewer.

As for the southern AI and Beach clubs, I suppose they do little since the sewer lines do not go that far. I suspect they are a bigger problem than the cruise ships for the water north of them. Is there some correlation that the problems become far worse just north of those places?

The problem there is that the result of such a stupid study may prove to the idiots, that it is the divers causing it…not the mega money facilities spewing out the filth and mainly controlled by the island's elite families/politicians. None of those facilities are owned by the mostly independent dive operators.

My real fear is that those in control will use this worthless test to blame it on divers instead of the real problem. It just may be a conspiracy of the powerful who don't give a damn about the reefs or thousands of poor islanders who feed their families through diving.

I'm just a small voice and at 73 about to retire but someone should perform an easily done, but complete inspection of the southern resorts water treatment. And/or test the water in front of each location. As others have disclosed at least some of them are known polluters—I suspect all are.

Good Luck, I pray for Cozumel and that the reefs will survive for my grand children.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora

PS If a Moderator think it worth its own thread, please do so

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

It is called a landfill. I have been to it. Any other questions?

What is it's life expectancy?
What will you do when it gets full?
Any idea on its effect to the ground water near it?

 

[JackD342]

Landfills are probably a much easier and cheaper solution in the US, with a population density about 1/4 that of Cozumel. And that is not quantifying any added distortions to the metric - I suspect on any given day that Cozumel may have a higher proportional non-resident head count than the US. What works for one does not necessarily work equally for all for all.
US: 92.6/sq mi
Cozumel: 400.2/sq mi