Marshall’s Majuro severely polluted

Ninety percent of water sites tested unsafe

MARSHALL ISLANDS – Nine of ten locations tested on the overcrowded atoll of Majuro in the Marshall Islands have failed water quality standards because of contamination by bacteria associated with human and animal waste.

Half of the samples taken from Majuro’s fresh water piping system were also contaminated with coliform and E coli, according to reports by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

Most of the sites are adjacent to schools and settlements, with only one area showing water safe enough for swimming and fishing.

To be considered safe, water must have less than 104 MPN per 100 milliliters of enterococci contamination. One site tested as high as 4100 MPN.

Nine sites in total showed significantly high contamination.

Enterococci causes a variety of infections and is also resistant to many types drugs and antibiotics.

The EPA has issued warnings. However swimming and fishing continues to take place in most of the affected locations.

The pollution is caused by untreated sewage outflow from the atoll, pig pens located near the sea and the use of beaches as toilets and rubbish dumps.

The capital’s sewage waste is pumped untreated onto a reef with the current taking it to the outside ocean where it is then washed back ashore along the atolls 50km of beaches.

An ongoing massive bloom of brown algae is believed to be the result of the continuous flow of untreated sewage onto the reef.

Brown algae blankets the reef in many areas of the capital and is most concentrated on the ocean-side reef around the sewage outfall.

Majuro’s sewage outfall pipe, once about 60 metres long that stretched beyond the reef, has been broken for years and continues to deteriorate.

The US government is presently funding studies to determine the best way to improve the outfall situation.

“In the meantime, residents and visitors in Majuro are swimming in and eating fish from ocean and lagoon water that is laced with enterococci,” the Marianas Variety newspaper comments.

The city water company has now posted signs around the sewage outfall pipe warning residents not to swim and fish.

- RNZI/PNC