DOMINICAN BEACH WATERS: STUDY FINDS HIGH LEVELS OF

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 003791

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: DR ETRD PGOV SENV
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN BEACH WATERS: STUDY FINDS HIGH LEVELS OF
BACTERIA


1. An ecological study of Dominican beaches conducted in
2004 by Direccon de Calidad Ambiental de la Secretaria de
Medio Ambiente (Directorate of Environmental Quality of the
Secretariat of the Environment) found that many coastal

SIPDIS
waters contain high levels of fecal residue. Bacterial
analysis of 184 samples, collected from 79 beaches around the
country, revealed that fecal coliforms (sewage-related
bacteria) and fecal streptococcus bodies were present in the
waters of at least 37 of the monitored beaches. Biologist
Luis Carvajal warned in the press that these bacteria may
cause diarrhea, dysentery, pharyngeal inflammation, and lung
and respiratory diseases in bathers. According to
researchers, the contamination is largely due to the lack of
adequate waste water treatment systems.


2. There are 197 beaches in the country, 71 in the north, 54
in the east, and 72 on the southwestern coast. These form
the backbone of the Dominican tourism industry as nearly 95%
of all tourists come for the beaches. The negative findings
of the study may cause prospective tourists to vacation
elsewhere, resulting in major losses for the Dominican
tourism industry and hurting the Dominican economy overall.


3. The highest levels of contamination were found in the
waters close to urban areas. For example, in the capital,
Santo Domingo, bacteriological problems were present on the
beaches in Guibia and Manresa, in the Boca Chica-San Pedro
area, in La Caleta, Andres, Caribe, Guayacanes, Costa Linda,
Villa del Mar, El Muerto, Santa Beach, and Juan Dolio. The La
Romana-Bayahibe area had the least fecal contamination, with
the exception of the La Caleta and El Caleton beaches. Out
of the 11 beaches monitored in the Punta Cana-Bavaro region,
six had coliform levels exceeding the environmentally
established norms for ocean waters.


4. The newspaper El Caribe, which reported results of the
study on June 14, also mentioned a plan to restore water
quality in 11 rivers around the country. The clean-up of the
Ozama and Isabela rivers in the capital is to be financed and
executed by the waste-producing industries and the five city
councils of the National District and the province of Santo
Domingo, as well as the Secretariats of Public Works and
Public Health. According to Secretary of the Environment Max
Puig, the government does not have the funds to properly
treat the waters of the heavily polluted rivers and must
therefore rely on "international loans and help from the
private sector."


5. Drafted by Diana Flewelling. This report and others can
be found on our SIPRNET site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo/ .
HERTELL