WATCH: Netizens Shocked by Video of Wastewater Being Drained Into the Ocean

Gross.
by Meryl Medel | June 29, 2020

Last weekend, a video went viral for showing what seems to be a large amount of sewage water being drained into Acapulco Bay in Mexico.

https://www.facebook.com/AcapulcoMiPuerto/posts/139795004427633

A resident living in an apartment overlooking the beach of Acapulco shared the video in their Facebook page Acapulco desde mi balcón (literally ‘Acapulco from my balcony’). And this came just an hour after they posted how beautiful the weather in Acapulco was. It was so bad that they were able to smell the fetid waters all the way from their balcony.

 

Is this the first time it happened?

No, it’s not actually. Last December, the local government issued a health alert for holiday visitors wanting to visit the beaches of Acapulco because they recognize that there are 22 sewage discharge points that lead to the bay.

Similarly, in December 2018, tourists actively avoided a part of the bay because of contamination by sewage, as well as trash left by tourists. The matter was actually brought to light over a decade ago already — back in 2003 — but several beaches were revealed to be unfit for bathing due to their “unhealthy levels of coliform bacteria.”

https://www.facebook.com/AcapulcoMiPuerto/posts/139826941091106

 

What is the Mexican government doing?

Just a few hours after the video went viral, Mexico’s Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources issued a statement requesting an immediate on-site investigation to identify those responsible, as the draining of contaminated waters into a federal maritime zone such as the Acapulco Bay warrants a federal offense.

According to the government’s inspection, the spillage could have been due to the blockage of solid residue and sand in the rain drainage system. The block seems to be due to the lack of maintenance of the drainage system. The government is currently working on cleaning up the solid residue in the drainage system to allow the drainage work properly, along with other corrective measures.

https://www.facebook.com/semaren.guerrero.3/posts/1666129990202776

Despite the possible health risks involved, tourists keep on coming back to ‘enjoy’ the beaches of Acapulco Bay, even a day after the viral video. Check out the video below, taken from the same spot, a day later, but with tourists already peppering the contaminated beach.

https://www.facebook.com/AcapulcoMiPuerto/posts/145986137141853

 

What do you think of this issue? Reminds you of anything in our country?