Military Wastewater Pollutes Manatí Lagoon Reserve

Cancún, Mexico — The construction of a military housing complex in Puerto Juárez is allegedly discharging raw sewage directly into the Manatí Lagoon reserve, a state-protected natural area, according to complaints from local residents.

Among the residents in the northern part of the city is Alberco Barranco Tolentino, the community guardian of the reserve in Puerto Juárez. He stated that this green area is not only affected by trash left by people visiting from Isla Mujeres but also by the presence of pipes originating from the housing complex that empty into the mangrove.

The problem is exposed at the end of Benito Juárez street in supermanzana 85, where four-inch PVC pipes are visible just meters away. According to neighbors, military personnel have argued that it is only a storm drain, but residents suspect that one of the pipes is connected to a septic tank within the facility, indicating improper handling of black water.

In response, the head of the Department of Natural Protected Areas in the Northern Zone of the Institute for Biodiversity and Natural Protected Areas (Ibanqroo), Gonzalo Pech Aldana, explained that Puerto Juárez has the necessary sanitary drainage infrastructure. He urged those responsible for the construction to connect properly to the municipal network to prevent further pollution in this vulnerable ecosystem.

"The reserve is right on the boundaries of the construction. We had already managed to have them remove the drainage pipe, but now with the renovation they have installed a new outlet," he explained.

This situation represents a potential violation of environmental regulations that prohibit the discharge of pollutants into this protected area. Environmental authorities are now evaluating the actions to be taken to protect this State Refuge of Flora and Fauna.