IT isn't sewage. Caye Caulker was created by sand building up around mangrove roots standing in the sea.They survive in salt water by having a large amount of sulfer in the roots and trunk. The old roots are still in layers in the ground and they release hydrogen sulfide gas into the water.When you aerate the water the gas is released and the water smells good again. When I came in the 70's there was not one flush toilet on the island. We shared outhouses on the end of the docks.There was no source of sewage on land but we still had the same problem with sulpher smell in the wells esp. in dry season.
The usual test for sewage is to sample for for E Coli. The wells we tested all over the island all passed whether they smelled or not, with the exception of the one at the dump, where the septic tank pumpers discharge.
I drink my well water, having tested it many times over the 30 years I have had it.
Last edited by Dane; 05/18/08 08:36 PM.