Faecal waste pollutes drinking water in Mexico’s Yucatan, Greenpeace says

By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters. Published On 21 Oct 202621 Oct 2026.

Key points

• The global environmental watchdog group commissioned an independent laboratory to test water at 17 sites near the state capital, Merida, in August.
• Faecal bacteria are contaminating water in wells and sinkholes in Mexico's Yucatan state.
• The sites included household and farm wells, community water points and cenotes, the natural sinkholes that dot the Yucatan Peninsula.
• "The contamination of the waters that have sustained Mayan culture for millennia is predominantly coming from the industrial operations of the growth of animals, " Orellana remarked.
• While Mexico's national water commission, CONAGUA, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, the Yucatan state administration was not available for comment.

Faecal bacteria are contaminating water in wells and sinkholes in Mexico's Yucatan state. It are a vital source of drinking water, according to a report by Greenpeace, a global environmental organisation.

For context, the report, published on Tuesday, remarked nearby pig farms and municipal wastewater were probable sources of the pollution in the southeastern coastal state.

"A range of chemical and microbiological indicators reveal a complex mosaic of severe, localised organic pollution, " it remarked.

Greenpeace pressed an immediate moratorium on new industrial livestock operations and farm expansions in the peninsular state. It was once home to the ancient Maya civilisation.

With no above-ground rivers, groundwater is the Yucatan's only freshwater source, and the area's porous limestone bedrock lets pollutants rapidly seep into the aquifer.

Meanwhile, the global environmental watchdog group commissioned an independent laboratory to test water at 17 sites near the state capital, Merida, in August.

Meanwhile, the sites included household and farm wells, community water points and cenotes, the natural sinkholes that dot the Yucatan Peninsula. It is one of Mexico's most popular tourist destinations.

As the report notes, every sample indicated some degree of contamination probable linked to faecal waste, and a number of sites appeared heavily polluted. Total coliform bacteria reached the test's upper limit in 16 of 17 samples, and faecal coliforms did so in 13.

Nevertheless, the tests cannot show whether the waste came from residents or animals, and leaking septic tanks and municipal sewage may additionally contribute to contamination.

Greenpeace remarked, even so, that separate testing using Pig2Bac, a pig-specific DNA marker method, detected pig faecal matter in samples analysed at laboratories at Johns Hopkins University in the US and Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM).

Greenpeace remarked the results raise "critical accountability questions" concerning nearby pig farms.

Maya communities joined Greenpeace in demanding action from environmental authorities over the contamination.

Meanwhile, a UN report published in July discovered that there are more than 500 industrial pig farms throughout Yucatan state with more than 50, 000 animals, plenty of located near the lands and territories of Indigenous Peoples.

Marcos Orellana, a former UN special rapporteur who authored the report, remarked waste and chemicals from industrial farms "find their way very quickly" into the water communities apply for bathing, cooking and drinking. He remarked most farms lack required permits and that regional administration initiatives "remain insufficient".

But Antonio Zumarraga, vice president of the Yucatan Citizen Scientific Water Observatory, defended the local pork industry, saying the sector has invested in water treatment and supports conservation programmes. He blamed local authorities for their inaction.

"It's an issue that, as long as it doesn't carry political weight for the government, they won't do anything about it, " Zumarraga remarked.

While Mexico's national water commission, CONAGUA, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, the Yucatan state administration was not available for comment. Merida's Association of Pig Farmers additionally did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Taken together, the developments around faecal waste pollutes drinking water in Mexico's Yucatan, Greenpeace says point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.