On Thursday, April 11th, 2019, the emissor pipe was successfully installed to the newly upgraded wastewater treatment plant in Sayulita. The Gobernador Antonio Echevarria Garcia, the Presidente Municipal de Bahia de Banderas, Jaime Cuevas, and the director of the CEA (Nayarit’s potable water authority), Martha Patricia Urenda Delgado were at the treatment plant yesterday, on April 16th, to tour and inaugurate the newly upgraded and fully functioning plant and emissor. Sayulita is now the only beach town in the area that does not dump grey water directly onto the beach. Many people turned out today to tour the plant and grounds, and it was great to see everyone involved in the process. There was also a noticeable lack of odor at the plant, which was a pleasant experience. The government of Nayarit also tested the water quality and the latest test results showed between 10 and 20 NMP / 100 ml enterococci, which is well below the 200 NMP / 100 ml limit set by the government for safe swimming.
The treatment plant was previously only able to process 20-30 liters per second when both sides of the plant were in optimum running condition, which could not always keep up with the demand due to tourism growth, but it now has now been upgraded to process up to 80 liters per second, which is a huge improvement, and can handle the busiest tourist times, such as Semana Santa and Christmas / New Year’s Eve holidays. With the emissor pipe in place and functioning, there is no treated water entering the river or emptying onto the beach. The fully treated water is instead emitted through a pipe that is anchored to the sea bed and emits the treated water 2.3 km into the deep ocean. With good maintenance, this newly upgraded plant will serve Sayulita for the next 25 years as the population continues to grow. The government is now overseeing the management of the plant, so there will be regular inspections and upkeep.
This massive infrastructure upgrade could not have happened without the actions of Grupo Pro Sayulita, who took the initiative to get studies in place, engineering plans, apply for permits, and also the many donors who helped the project get underway. The new sewer line beneath Manuel Navarette, beneath the river bed, and the new storage tank at the plant were all funded by Grupo Pro Sayulita as well as private donations. The newly elected Mexican State and Federal government then took over the project and have been working diligently for months to bring about the completion of the project, which they funded in excess of 41 million pesos.
This is the best news Sayulita has received in a very long time; thanks to everyone who stood by this necessary project and donated their time and money to bring about positive change for the health of everyone in Sayulita. There is still more to do, so please consider becoming a member of Grupo Pro Sayulita, or you can always pick a cause and donate directly to that fund. You can donate to Grupo Pro Sayulita here.
Local volunteers are already discussing a project to bring back plant life to improve the health of the natural estuary at the mouth of Sayulita’s seasonal river.
*Written by: Valorie VanRheen