bonaire wastewater problem

[bebo at sea]

[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']I would like to ask for some help from the diving community. i believe that enough voices can make a change and I'm asking you to speak out.[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']The island Bonaire, yes, this is a Bonaire rant, does not have have an organized sewage disposal system, that's sewage and waste water. Generally on the island you build your building, dig some septic tanks nearby and lead all your waste water to them. Usually when the tank is full you call for the truck to pump it out. Except when your building is near the ocean, then you build a septic tank made up of four chambers. As the water flows from chamber to chamber the heavy particles stay in the first chambers and relatively clear water reaches the fourth chamber, clear but toxic.[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']At the fourth chamber the hotels have drilled a twenty to thirty foot well hole right into that porous rock that leads the clear toxic water out onto the reef. A thirty foot well hole would generally be twenty feet below the waterline. Is there anyone who thinks this is a good idea?[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']So that we're clear on this, the very people who are entrusted with the care of the reefs, and who profit the most from it, are the ones poisoning the reef.[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']There is the marine park STINAPA who have spoken out but that's it. they are very concerned with plastic bottles and neem trees, but poisen in the sea? not so much.[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Hopefully this will bring out a response from the bonaire hotels and dive shops, on bonaire they hide.[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']The bonaire hotels and dive shops are the islands' largest employers, together they should be able to do anything. There is a plan for a piped sewage system, it's laughable and with an island government it is years away. [/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Understand that the reason the hotels aren't pro-active is that pumping the septic tanks out costs money, dumping sewage into the sea is free. This behavior from the word's leader in marine enviornmentalism, profit before reef ecology.[/font]

[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Want a second opinion? check online bonaire reporter "enviornmental concerns".[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']What i'm asking you to do is go online for bonaire hotel web sites and tell them that you agree or dis agree with what they're doing. heck, tell the dive shops too. i would supply you with the addresses but i think it's better if you look them up.[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Enough voices should make a difference, public opinion should count.[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Now, if you've made up a letter that you are cut and pasting to everyone please include a copy to captain don stewart , the man who started Bonaire on an enviornmental path.(also found online) he's been hollering and fussing about this problem for more than ten years, and they ignore him. let him know you're on his side.[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']You may see this same message in other diving forums. I simply want to reach as many divers/voices as possible.[/font]


[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']thanks, bebo [/font]

[ianr33]

Welcome to Scubatoys.

You posting this on every board you can find?
Bonaire wastewater problem - ScubaBoard

[DarinMartell]

Interesting back and forth on this on SB. Coming from rural WI I know how good of a job a good septic system can do. I guess the question should be how good of a job for the resorts systems do.