Greenpeace: Drinking Water in Mexico's Yucatan Contaminated by Fecal Waste
Theo Al Jazeera
A Greenpeace report says fecal bacteria are contaminating wells and cenotes in Mexico's Yucatan state, where groundwater is the only freshwater source. Industrial pig farms and urban wastewater are suspected contributors, though authorities have not commented.
Fecal bacteria are contaminating water in wells and natural sinkholes, known as cenotes, in Mexico's Yucatan state — a key source of drinking water for the region — according to a report released Tuesday by the environmental group Greenpeace.
The report says nearby pig farms and urban wastewater are likely sources of the pollution in this southeastern coastal state. According to the report, "a range of chemical and microbiological indicators reveal a complex picture of severe, localized organic contamination."
Greenpeace called for an immediate moratorium on new industrial livestock operations and farm expansion in Yucatan — the land that was once home to the ancient Maya civilization.
With no surface rivers, groundwater is Yucatan's only freshwater source, and the region's porous limestone bedrock allows contaminants to seep quickly into the aquifer.
Test results
The global environmental watchdog hired an independent laboratory to test water at 17 sites near the state capital Merida in August. The sites included household and farm wells, community water points and cenotes — natural sinkholes scattered across the Yucatan Peninsula, one of Mexico's most popular tourist destinations.
According to the report, every water sample showed some level of contamination likely linked to fecal waste, and several sites showed signs of heavy contamination. Total coliform bacteria reached the upper limit of the test in 16 of 17 samples, while fecal coliform hit that level in 13 samples.
However, the tests could not determine whether the waste came from humans or animals, and leaking septic tanks and urban wastewater could also be contributing to the contamination.
Greenpeace said a separate test using a DNA marker specific to pigs (Pig2Bac) detected pig fecal waste in samples analyzed at the laboratories of Johns Hopkins University in the United States and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). According to Greenpeace, the result raises "serious questions of responsibility" for nearby pig farms.
Maya communities have joined Greenpeace in demanding that environmental authorities act on the pollution.
Industrial pig farms
A United Nations report published in July found more than 500 industrial pig farms across Yucatan state with more than 50,000 animals, many of them located near the land and territories of indigenous peoples.
Marcos Orellana, a former UN special rapporteur and the author of the report, said waste and chemicals from industrial farms "rapidly enter" the water sources communities use for bathing, cooking and drinking. He said most farms lack required permits and that regional authorities' initiatives "remain insufficient."
"The contamination of water sources that have sustained Maya culture for thousands of years comes mainly from industrial livestock operations," Orellana said.
However, Antonio Zumarraga, vice president of the Yucatan Citizen Water Science Observatory, defended the local pig industry, saying the sector has invested in water treatment and supported conservation programs. He blamed local authorities for the lack of action.
"This is a problem that, as long as it doesn't carry political weight for the government, they won't do anything," Zumarraga said.
The Yucatan state government did not comment, while Mexico's National Water Commission (CONAGUA) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Merida Pig Farmers Association also did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
