Campaign for Clean Rivers
Campaign for Clean Rivers in Xico
In Xico, the wastewater of more than 13000 inhabitants is discharged directly into our rivers without any treatment whatsoever. Thus, our contaminated rivers are no longer a resource to be taken advantage of, but a threat to whomever goes near them.
The River Pextlan, or Matlacobatl, receives the discharge of some 5000 inhabitants. The wastewater from the town of Xico, the slaughterhouse and waste water from coffee processing plants, all flow directly into a Ramsar site, a wetland area prioritized for conservation because of its importance in the preservation of cloud forest species.
The growing tourist industry is furious in the face of the contamination of the resources which bless our town: the rivers and crystalline waterfalls which now return as stinking sewage from their passage through the town
It is past time that the authorities answer the people’s demands by investing in the construction and operation of treatment plants to clean our city’s waters.
As we already have a treatment plan at the entrance of the town which has never been operational because of technical problems, we now demand up-to-date technology, designed and built by a local business with more than 15 years of experience, with plants constructed and operating at minimum cost (to make it operational).
The implementation of a Program for the Management of Waste Water requires the participation of all Xico’s citizens in water conservation programs. They must also deal with the problem of the failure to pay for water. Citizen participation is essential in the planning and decision making in the administration of the water and sanitation systems.
We insist that local authorities seek a solution to the problem of the contamination of our rivers through a program of water management which includes the installation and operation of plants designed for the treatment of residual waters.[/lang_en]