Centro Ecologico: Akumal, Mexico, Ocean Research, Environmental Education, Sea Turtle Protection, Marine Research

Proposal to solve the pressing issue of contamination of the groundwater
from sewage, sewage sludge, organics and toxics
June 2002

Abstract

La Riviera Maya faces serious health threats and a loss of economy due to the contamination of the environment by sewage, sewage sludge and solid waste mixed with rotting organics. Centro Ecológico Akumal proposes to help solve these problems by creating a replicable, integrated waste management center, CeMIR, Centro de Manejo Integral de Residuos. The CeMIR will provide effective, state-of-the-art treatment and disposal of the waste - liquid and solid - generated in the Riviera Maya between Pa'muul and Tankah. In the year 2000, an estimated forty-five tons of solid waste were deposited daily at the Akumal dump. This waste is a significant portion of the volume of the Riviera Maya waste stream.

To create the CeMIR, a location is needed. CEA is requesting that Fidecaribe give a concession, donation or sell, at a reasonable price, the quarry located north and west of Akumal.

Most waste management centers neither make money nor are they attractive places. The CeMIR is planned as an Integrated Waste Management Center that will generate funds through the creation of products out of waste and simply because it will be a beautiful, educational attraction for Quintana Roo visitors and residents.

Centro Ecológico Akumal has dedicated most of its resources since July 1993 to the investigation of the quality and movement of the groundwater. At Akumal, investigation showed that the groundwater becomes highly polluted as it nears the shoreline. Bottomless septic tanks with no drain fields, and deep deposit wells directly disposing raw, untreated sewage into the groundwater system, are the most likely sources of the contamination. A new study by researchers from the University of Georgia has identified

In determining the systems to be used in CeMIR, the geology, climate and reliability of electric power were taken into consideration in order to develop criteria by which the systems available could be compared. The criteria are based on the level of removal of pathogens, toxics, and nutrients, the costs to design, build and maintain, the requirements for energy and land area, level of skill of maintenance and, finally, the life expectancy of the systems.

Geology, Climate and Electric Power
Quintana Roo is a very porous and leaky karst terrain with no overland rivers until the Belize border. All water is groundwater recharged by rainfall, much of it moving through large cave systems to the sea. The geology makes the region highly vulnerable to contamination from anything put in or on the ground.

There is a distinct rain and hurricane season. During heavy storms and hurricanes, the electric power can be interrupted for long periods, from hours to months. This is a hazard for any region in the hurricane zone. Systems that require no energy or use solar energy will continue to operate without electric power. This is an important consideration when deciding on the type of system to be used.

Criteria
Pathogens and Toxins - Pathogens and toxins found in sewage and toxins found in sewage sludge are dangerous for human health. Emerging infectious diseases are of concern in areas such as this one, where the population is highly mobile. Add the factor that most of the water contaminated by human waste is not being treated. The residents and guests in the State are using an estimated 190,000,000 liters of water a day and nearly all is being contaminated. This serious health threat cannot be ignored.

Costs - With limited funding available, cost is an important factor. A system for the region should be low in cost to design, build, operate and maintain. The system chosen should not require a high level of maintenance.

The system should not have highly mechanical parts. Machinery has high maintenance and replacement factors that increase the lifecycle costs. Sewage treatment plants are, in many cases, treating brackish water. Salt damages the mechanical parts from the inside out. Outside, in a marine climate, rust hastens the demise of mechanical parts. Unreliable power damages machinery and shortens the lifespan of the system.

Life Expectancy - A life expectancy of at least 20 years is desirable. With a growing population, funding should be put into new systems, not into replacing old ones. Sewage treatment plants have an average lifespan of 20 years, but in marine climates, that lifespan can be reduced to 5-7 years, depending on the level of maintenance.

Land Requirements - The need for large tracts of land for waste management adds cost to any project. Another factor is the large tracts of less expensive land are generally far away from the urban developments. Placing waste management centers far away requires the haulers to travel longer distances, costing more in gasoline, wear on the vehicles and time. The longer it takes to get there, the more haulers will be needed to manage the waste.

Based on extensive study and comparison with other systems now available, the CEMIR Project has chosen constructed wetlands, composting of sewage sludge and composting of organics as the best systems to be used for the treatment of sewage, sewage sludge and organics from the kitchen and garden. The recycling of valuable products is included in the concept to reduce the volume of solid waste. Local quarries located on or near the highway have been chosen for several reasons that are listed in the Preliminary Environmental Impact Statement, Appendix II.

Sewage
To solve the pressing issue of sewage treatment and disposal, CeMIR will demonstrate the effectiveness of three types of wetland systems designed by North American Wetland Engineering, nawe@visi.com . The systems proposed are fifth generation designs using aeration to attain a high level of treatment, especially the removal of nitrogen.

Sludge
Sewage sludge, the leftover solid material after treatment in septic tanks and sewage treatment plants, can contain highly toxic material. Today in Quintana Roo there is no effective treatment and disposal of sewage sludge. The discharge from pump trucks can be seen dumped in local quarries, but where most of it is being disposed of is only speculation; the groundwater and the sea are the most likely places. This is so potentially dangerous to human health that it must be addressed immediately. The CeMIR Project proposes to provide an effective solution.

The treatment and disposal of sewage sludge is a highly sensitive issue. Sewage sludge is potentially toxic and must be stored so that is does not enter the environment. The CeMIR proposes to use composting as the method for treating sludge. There are potential contamination problems with composting sludge including possible toxicity of the final product, leachates entering the groundwater, offensive odors and dry sludge material contaminating the air with sludge dust.

A technology that composts in a sealed environment and uses aeration for organic decomposition is the Ag-Bag System http://www.ag-bag.com. The material to be composted is sealed in biodegradable plastic bags so there are no odor or leachate problems. Aeration is added to decompose the sludge and convert it into a stable material. CEMIR proposes to test the Ag-Bag technology for treatment of sewage sludge.

However, composting sludge does not remove toxic chemicals that may be in the final material. To solve this issue, the CeMIR proposes to use the required CRETIC test at the CEA Water Quality Testing Laboratory or any other State-approved laboratory to test the quality of the sludge. If the sludge is found toxic, it can be stored in the wetland systems and the plants will uptake the toxics and sequester them. The compost that is not toxic can be used in other ways that do not require sealed storage.

Organics
Putrefying organic materials contaminate the rest of the garbage with which they are mixed. Liquid from the organics leaks into the groundwater, contaminating the water with nutrients and unknown toxics. Odors arise from rotting organics. Insects, rodents and buzzards are attracted to the stench and make their home in the unsanitary conditions created by poorly disposed of garbage.

The Ag-Bag technology that composts the organic material in a sealed bag eliminates all of the aforementioned problems. Ag-Bag also can be used to compost many other types of waste. Fish, pig, cow and mixed solid waste can be composted and reduced to a non-toxic, stable material that can be used for capping the wetlands and for sealed landscaping.

The Ag-Bag machine that processes 69 tons of waste per day costs $50,000 USD and there are ongoing costs in bags and fuel to run the machine. Additional equipment, a chopper, a screen and a sludge mixer, are required, but they are moveable machines that can travel from one compost site to another along the coast. The moveable machines cost approximately $450,000 USD. This is a significant investment, but it is a very effective solution for the problem of contamination of the groundwater from rotting kitchen and garden organic materials.

An estimated five hundred tons of solid waste per day are being generated in the State. To process all of Quintana Roo's organic waste, mixed waste and sewage sludge. A cost estimate is being prepared for this proposal.

Recyclables
Aluminum, glass, plastic, paper and carton are non-contaminating, but voluminous, materials that have value. These should be separated in situ, collected, prepared and stored Materials Recovery Center until sold or reused in a creative, non-contaminating process. GPM Recyclers from Monterrey, working with the Subcomité Municipal de Manejo de Residuos in the Akumal waste generation area, wish to participate in the CeMIR by providing a recycling system that will reduce the volume of the waste stream by 45-50%. A drawing of the Recycling Center, the cost to construct it and the cost of the machinery needed to operate the Recycling Center are appended to this document. (Appendix III)

Community Participation
Community participation is essential for the success of any waste management system. Community programs that encourage participation have been effective in other towns in Mexico. CeMIR, working in conjunction with CEA's Environmental Education Program, will offer public education on the issues of waste management through a variety of proven grassroots efforts that will engage each of the different cultures, Maya, Mexican, American and European.

A grant proposal is underway to expand the CEA Environmental Education and Communication Programs to create a grassroots movement to ask of the Mexican government the help needed to raise the quality of life in the region by making sure all residents have good air, water and shelter. This means effective waste management.

Participation by Collectors
CEA suggests that Municipally-contracted garbage haulers and those contracted by the hotels and small communities can be encouraged to participate in the separation of organics and recyclables from the waste stream by being paid more money for less mixed solid waste deposited in the landfills.

If Ag-Bags are used to treat mixed solid waste instead of the unsanitary landfills, the dump workers will be needed at the end of the process instead of the beginning. After composting, the mixed solid waste will be a clean, stable compost without pathogens, odors, insects and rodents. This will raise the working conditions of the people dealing directly with the waste. There will be no need to burn the waste to reduce the volume down to the recyclables as is being done at Playa del Carmen.

PROPOSAL

CEA is asking support of the State and Municipal governments for the CeMIR Project. To build the CeMIR, a donation, concession or sale, at a reasonable price, of the North Akumal quarry, located just west of Highway 307 is requested. Without a location, nothing will go forward.. With land, actions can be taken to secure funding for the construction of the CeMIR Project

CEA has selected the quarry located north and west of Akumal as an ideal site for the CeMIR Project for several reasons:

· It is a geologically sound, easily sealed location; the CEA Preliminary Environmental Impact Statement is appended. (Appendix II)
· It is ideally located to become the Waste Treatment Center for the Akumal Poblado scheduled to grow to 150,000 persons or more. This significant population will require excellent infrastructure and the quarry proposed for the CeMIR is located at the north end of the proposed area of the city. The location is ideal for the provision of waste management essential for growth of this magnitude.
· It is ideally located for drainage to be connected from the North Akumal development where there are 13 condominium buildings without sufficient land to build a private wetland system. In CeMIR, the initial cells will be designed for treating sewage for 500 persons. As the need grows, cells can be added and the Wetland Sewage Treatment Center can be expanded.
· It is located approximately in the middle of the waste generation area, making it convenient and less costly for the collectors.
· It is located on Highway 307, but it is not easily seen from the road. As the CeMIR grows, the restoration will make it appear to be jungle again. The quarry will become an attractive environment. The quarry today is a scar on the horizon open to illegal dumping of sewage, sewage sludge and solid waste.

Financing
CeMIR is a Public Service Project and it will benefit the Municipal, State and Federal governments by providing effective waste management to a large segment of the Riviera Maya, a very high, waste-generating area. All sectors that will benefit from CeMIR; Federal, State and Municipal governments, residents and businesses, should participate in financing the project. There are several financial scenarios being considered; creating a community cooperative with participation by the users, based on quantity of waste generated, private investors creating a private waste management business, or by using funding from Mexican and international foundations interested in public health issues and the Mesoamerican Reef Region.

Once a location has been secured, participation by the beneficiaries will be sought. Grant proposals and a business plan to attract investors are being prepared. CEA is looking for a multi-sector, interdisciplinary participation group to solve the regional water contamination problems, now.

Financial Support for the Operation of CeMIR
Fees for the receipt and treatment of sewage, sewage sludge and organics will be charged to cover the costs of operation. Adequate waste management costs money and it is not in our best interests to scrimp on the quality and the quantity of that management. The users and generators must be prepared to pay the cost of waste management.

To ensure compliance, all users could be required to present to the government, proof of payment for proper disposal. To make compliance palatable, the government could give tax benefits in exchange.

Jobs can be created and additional money can be generated from several sources:

· Sale of compost will provide soil for landscaping and capping other wetlands. Soil is in great demand. As development grows, the jungle is being robbed of its very thin layer of soil and whole ecosystems are being disrupted. There are problems with this scenario that must be solved and the solution may require the sale of the compost to other areas in the country.
· Sale of propagated wetland and tropical plants for seeding new wetland systems and for landscaping. The plants can be grown in the wetlands by using drip irrigation from the wetlands.
· Flowers can be grown for sale to hotels and restaurants.
· Fresh herbs and medicinal herbs can be grown for sale. An orchard can provide locally-grown organic fruit; oranges, limes and bananas using drip irrigation from the wetlands.
· Sale of honey from a demonstration of Maya beekeeping can also generate income possibly for local Maya creating their own small businesses.
· Tours can be offered to visitors to La Riviera Maya.

As a rule, most waste management centers do not produce an income. Often they operate at a loss. In CeMIR the products and beauty of the Centro alone will generate income. The income may not pay for the treatment of the waste generated, but may help to defray some of the operating costs.

Additionally, the image of La Riviera Maya can be transformed with the CeMIR from a contaminated, garbage-strewn landscape to a beautiful example of land restoration through waste management.

Eliminating the contamination could be the ticket into the world of real eco-tourism and is a solid money making proposition for all sectors invested in the economy. Eco-tourism is the fastest growing and most lucrative segment of the vacation industry. Environmentally savvy travelers are not fooled. Seeing the highway littered with garbage, passing through fecal smells, gagging on smoke from the burning garbage dumps and visiting poorly planned worker communities speaks volumes to our visitors about the state of the Quintana Roo environment. This is a reflection on all of us and has a profound effect on our future.

Timeframe
If the problems of water quality and waste management are not solved now with only 1,000,000 inhabitants and 4,000,000 visitors, how will they ever be solved? The longer we wait, the bigger the problem will be and the more costly it becomes, not only the millions of pesos it will cost to build infrastructure, but the loss of environment is incalculable.

Questions to Ponder
Quintana Roo is not about hotels rooms and theme parks. It is a truly unique place on earth. It is the beauty and variety of the environment; cenotes, caves, mangroves, bays and coral reefs that attract the tourists who support the economy. We are losing our environment and, when that is gone, do we have anything left to sell?

Will Quintana Roo be chosen as a vacation destination when the water is contaminated, the mangroves are concrete hotel zones, the beaches are covered in tar from cruise ship bilges, the bays are algae-covered dead zones and the coral reefs are gone?

Will Quintana Roo be chosen as a vacation destination with huge support towns filled with several million disenfranchised poor located just across Highway 307 from the obviously wealthy?

Mission
CEA's mission is a contamination-free Quintana Roo by 2010. This is a challenge for all beneficiaries of the environment. CEA needs land, money, and government and community support to build CeMIR. CEA seeks your help and asks for your participation in CeMIR to build a cleaner, safer more secure future for all the community of Quintana Roo.

There is no economy without environment. Time is short and we must act now.

Acknowledgements
I wish to thank all of the following persons for dragging me into the murky waters of waste management through the very wonderful work in which are they all are engaged. Charles Shaw, my partner and mentor without whom i would not have become interested in water quality issues; Dr. Judy Lang who set me on the right path by pointing the way to human health issues; Samantha Smith and Patricia Beddows for their good work on water quality and movement; Dinah Drago, Laura Orlando and Resource Institute for bringing NaHiXix composting toilets to Quintana Roo; Dr. Mark Nelson and PCRF for the wetland technology; Gonzalo Arcila and Ingrid Datica for carrying on the work of PCRF by building wetlands. I especially want to thank the Akumaleños who have built wetlands and have taken responsibility for their part in the groundwater contamination, not because they were regulated to do so, but because it is the right thing to do; Carol Larson for building her eco-home at Punta Soliman and leading the way for a whole community of eco-homes. And through serendipity, to Vicky Frank for introducing me to David Whitney, David for introducing me to Dr. Nancy Hayden, Curt Sparks, Mark Krekeler and A. J.; To Curt Sparks, Scott Wallace and the North American Wetland Engineering staff for taking the challenge of CEA's mission; our special neighbors, Fred Swarner and Becky for bringing the Ag-Bag and Fecon technologies to Akumal. Thank you to Carlos Saavedra, Mariana Panuncio and Mr. and Mrs. Roger Sant from the Summit and Community Foundations for their faith and generous financial support; Lisa and David U'Prichard for their faith and generous financial support and to National Fish and Wildlife for their generous financial support of our website and documentary filmmaking; Lydia Linton Pontius and Mike Pontius and all the Ulanji staff for their design of our website. In addition, to Lydia a thank you for her filmmaking; Jorge Luis Basave for his astute comments and good work on the CEMIR Project and to all of my colleagues at CEA, who with crazed dedication, help CEA achieve its mission of a contamination-free environment. Last, but not least, to all my friends, especially Claudia Tolentino and Maria Laurent, for their support and long suffering devotion listening to me for hours talk about contamination, talking trash and dirty water.

Respectfully submitted by:
Kathryn S. Robinhawk
June 2002

To learn more please click here for related links.
Click here to find related Research Papers.
To learn more about CEA's Program please visit our Programs Section.