Cozumel Groundwater Quality Mostly Within Acceptable Limits, Expert Says

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — Scientific studies carried out at various points on the island show that groundwater quality, at least in the areas evaluated so far, remains within acceptable parameters at most sites, according to speleologist Germán Yáñez Mendoza, who takes part in subsurface explorations of Cozumel.

Yáñez explained that his team is currently working on a system of underground galleries located beneath the López Mateos neighborhood, within the urban area, where they also conducted water quality sampling.

“We took water samples and they are not at the levels I thought might be very bad; we also found galleries that continue underneath the entire López Mateos neighborhood,” he said.

The speleologist recalled that during monitoring with specialists from the Scientific Research Center of Yucatan (CICY), around 13 sites at different points on the island were analyzed. According to the results, only two or three points showed altered parameters, while the rest had favorable results.

“This tells us that contamination does exist in some sites, but not at the levels that are often speculated,” he noted.

Yáñez stressed that the analyses were carried out by certified laboratories, and said it is important to distinguish between scientific studies and measurements without technical backing.

Regarding the alleged contamination reported in the northern part of Cozumel, he said he does not have enough information to offer an opinion, as his team has not carried out underground explorations or sampling in that area. He said that information corresponds to the authorities responsible for water supply and monitoring.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining permanent monitoring programs to track how groundwater quality evolves.

“Everything must be based on science. We have to keep investing in monitoring to know how the quality of the island’s water evolves,” he concluded.