Sewage in Zihuatenejo Bay

[Droopy_Sails]

Have been reading that Zihua Bay is often polluted by raw sewage, especially after a rain. This makes us hesitant to use the beaches there. Anyone run across the same info or able to comment on this?

[melika091900]

ive heard posts about it , but we went to las gatas in ixtapa/zihuatanejo and the water was fine... it was clean and nice

 

i was thinking they were talking more about the area near the piers..

[gomexico]

During the Summer heavy rains - up and down the Pacific Coast of Mexico - you'll encounter situations where "stuff", often plastics, paper and sometimes sanitary waste overflowing it's system, flows into the water at or near destinations such as Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo and Acapulco.

 

Some of these areas are also vulnerable to things washing into the water because hills/mountains where people live go right to water's edge. The various communities work hard to collect what flows into the water, but some things - as might be expected - can't be retreived easily.

 

The federal government in Mexico tests water along its coasts and - except during the heavist rains - water quality seems to be within healthy standards. The only place that ranks consistently "dangerous" are the beaches at or near Veracruz - on the other side of the country, along the Gulf of Mexico.

 

From what I know of the situation, I don't think the water quality you'll encounter in Zihuatanejo is any more dangerous, less clean, than other Pacific Coast ports of call.

 

I stay out of the water during/after heavy rains, and immediately after - and suggest that others do, as well.

 

If you want more - on-the-scene - information about the water quality at Zihuatanejo, or have other questions about that area, you might want to cross-post them on that area's most popular web message board - found at: http://www.zihuatanejo.net/wwwboard/index.html

[lovemexico]

The whole family enjoyed the beach in Ixtapa and no one smelt anything funny:) We had a great day at the Gatas beach.

[Droopy_Sails]

Thanks for the info, all! Appreciate it.

[In Toronto]

We vacationed in Zihua for 10 days and after a heavy rain the bay was disgusting. Yes, everything from the towns in the hills (and perhaps Z. itself, ran down.

Remember that Zihua is in a bay whereas Ixtapa is on the open Pacific coast so there is a difference. It takes a good few days for the currents to clear out a bay. But it is a really pretty location.

[CruiseToTahiti]

It should be alright as long as its not soon after a big rain...the beaches in Southern CA get closed several times a year for the same thing so its not just a Mexico issue...more of a desert issue...