Possible southern reef closure

[ReefHound]

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

Introducing the Take It Home campaign, whereby every visitor will depart with one gallon of liquified waste. Comes with a TSA-approved duty-free seal.

To be combined with the Just Hold It initiative, where if every visitor can just hold it in the final day until they get home, they can reduce the "load" by 10%.

 

[ggunn]

Just wondering...

I know correlation does not prove causation, but this past May two things were new since my last trip to the island - the sargassum invasion and the White Blight (I forget what the real name of it is). I wonder if disease organisms that affect the hard corals could be hitching a ride on the seaweed.

 

[pauldw]

I understand that Cozumel has better reefs than Isla Mujeres, and that Isla Mujeres probably has better beaches, but they're so nearby it doesn't seem entirely like apples and oranges. Is disease in both areas? I waste dealt with the same in both areas? Is there anything to learn from a comparison?

 

[ggunn]

I understand that Cozumel has better reefs than Isla Mujeres, and that Isla Mujeres probably has better beaches, but they're so nearby it doesn't seem entirely like apples and oranges. Is disease in both areas? I waste dealt with the same in both areas? Is there anything to learn from a comparison?

I have never been to Isla Mujeres, but while I was on Cozumel in May a friend of mine was on Isla, and when we got home we compared experiences. He's not a diver, so we couldn't compare reefs, but while all the east facing beaches on Cozumel and the nearby Yucatan were inundated with sargassum, the east beaches on Isla were completely free of it. Go figure.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

BTW, I have heard so many Quasi Scientists hide between the easy argument that Correlation does not mean Causation …I can throw up. That is all bull **** and I give up even if ya'll fall for it.

In addition, I am a widely recognized Scientist in Environmental Engineering in the US. I easily recognize ******** when I see it.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[El Graduado]

Here are some facts about Cozumel’s sewer treatment plant:

98.7% of addresses on Cozumel are connected to the city sewer system.

The island has 10 lift pumps to move this sewage to the plants through the system.

The San Miguelito treatment plant (north of town) has a capacity of 245 liters per second. It is currently working at about 120 liters per second. It uses a pretreatment system, bio-filter, clarifiers and ultraviolet ray system to deal with the liquid.

40% of the treated water is sold to the golf course for irrigation. The rest goes into 100 meter deep absorption wells.

This plant was remodeled and updated in 2018.

http://sinat.semarnat.gob.mx/dgiraDocs/documentos/qroo/estudios/2009/23QR2009H0041.pdf

Here are some facts about the landfill:

The old municipal dump was replaced with a modern landfill in 2011 and has 8,900 square meters available to work with. It is the first landfill in Quintana Roo to be certified by PROFEPA, who monitors the air, water-table, and noise around it. It takes in about 110 tons of garbage a day. It consists of cells which take one to four years to fill, depending on the size of the cell. They have room for about 20 years' worth of garbage before they need to expand, and they have plenty of room to expand. The garbage is compacted and covered daily. I believe they are working on a system to capture methane to use as fuel. Ask them for a tour, they will be happy to show you around.

 

[DandyDon]

Here are some facts about Cozumel’s sewer treatment plant:

98.7% of addresses on Cozumel are connected to the city sewer system.

The island has 10 lift pumps to move this sewage to the plants through the system.

The San Miguelito treatment plant (north of town) has a capacity of 245 liters per second. It is currently working at about 120 liters per second. It uses a pretreatment system, bio-filter, clarifiers and ultraviolet ray system to deal with the liquid.

40% of the treated water is sold to the golf course for irrigation. The rest goes into 100 meter deep absorption wells.

This plant was remodeled and updated in 2018.

It sounds like the big problem is that new developments and buildings anywhere on the island should have been required to be hooked up, even tho that'd mean a lot of ditching & pipe work. But then, street water still goes into the channel untreated.

 

[El Graduado]

It sounds like the big problem is that new developments and buildings anywhere on the island should have been required to be hooked up, even tho that'd mean a lot of ditching & pipe work. But then, street water still goes into the channel untreated.

I don't understand what you mean. The new developments and construction ARE required to be hooked up. The sewer lines are put in before the streets and construction with big rock-grinding trenchers. You can't build new without hooking up to the sewer system.

What city in the US treats rain run-off?

 

[JohnWoods]

I understand that Cozumel has better reefs than Isla Mujeres, and that Isla Mujeres probably has better beaches, but they're so nearby it doesn't seem entirely like apples and oranges. Is disease in both areas? I waste dealt with the same in both areas? Is there anything to learn from a comparison?

I dove both Isla and Cozumel in November last year. In my opinion from the dive operators to the quality of diving /reefs .... no comparison with Cozumel being far superior. I honestly didn't notice anything related to the discussed Stony Coral Tisssue Loss myself on either reefs , however , I didn't have a recent experience to compare , I wasn't looking for something wrong plus I don't dive very often and may not notice such a thing unless it is very obvious.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Here are some facts about Cozumel’s sewer treatment plant:

98.7% of addresses on Cozumel are connected to the city sewer system.

The island has 10 lift pumps to move this sewage to the plants through the system.

The San Miguelito treatment plant (north of town) has a capacity of 245 liters per second. It is currently working at about 120 liters per second. It uses a pretreatment system, bio-filter, clarifiers and ultraviolet ray system to deal with the liquid.

40% of the treated water is sold to the golf course for irrigation. The rest goes into 100 meter deep absorption wells.

This plant was remodeled and updated in 2018.

http://sinat.semarnat.gob.mx/dgiraDocs/documentos/qroo/estudios/2009/23QR2009H0041.pdf

Here are some facts about the landfill:

The old municipal dump was replaced with a modern landfill in 2011 and has 8,900 square meters available to work with. It is the first landfill in Quintana Roo to be certified by PROFEPA, who monitors the air, water-table, and noise around it. It takes in about 110 tons of garbage a day. It consists of cells which take one to four years to fill, depending on the size of the cell. They have room for about 20 years' worth of garbage before they need to expand, and they have plenty of room to expand. The garbage is compacted and covered daily. I believe they are working on a system to capture methane to use as fuel. Ask them for a tour, they will be happy to show you around.

I DID NOT KNOW, GOOD TO KNOW. WHY NOT BIUILD ONE DOWN SOUTH?

THANKS RIC

DAVE DILLEHAY