Greenpeace has found faecal bacteria contaminating wells and sinkholes in Mexico's Yucatan state, likely from pig farms and municipal waste, threatening the region's only freshwater source.
01Summary
- 01Greenpeace tested water at 17 sites near Merida in August; total coliform bacteria reached the upper limit in 16 samples and faecal coliforms in 13.
- 02Pig-specific DNA marker testing detected pig faecal matter in samples analysed at Johns Hopkins University and UNAM.
- 03A UN report in July identified over 500 industrial pig farms in Yucatan with more than 50,000 animals, often near Indigenous lands.
- 04Greenpeace is calling for an immediate moratorium on new industrial livestock operations and farm expansions in the state.
- 05Local pork industry representatives defend their record, citing investment in water treatment, and blame government inaction.
02Why it matters
Yucatan's porous limestone bedrock means pollutants seep quickly into the aquifer, the sole source of drinking water for residents, including Maya communities who rely on it for daily use.
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