Hello Everyone. I am not one to take much stock in rumors but this one alarmed me, so I'm asking for the scoop from anyone who knows. I've heard the water at Costamber beach is polluted. Stories range from sewage is in the water to the refinery is the cause for the contamination. Then, to share it all, there was a guy who said that the water is only polluted in certain areas of the beach. (As if I am to believe that ocean water is segregated and the polluted portion doesn't hang out with the untainted water... duh). Would someone give me the truth please?
- Thread starter cabaretesunshine
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Costambar beach & pollution
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Costambar beach
I go to that beach just about every day for a swim, and so do thousands others. Never had any problems, or heard from someone who did.
I go to that beach just about every day for a swim, and so do thousands others. Never had any problems, or heard from someone who did.
This RUMOR was started by SOME people in Sosua.......
...........and if you check back, you WILL find that the original "INFORMANT" was a Costambar resident that couldn't get along with anyone and eventually moved to Sosua..........by popular demand!
...........Where He Belongs!............... :bunny::bunny::bunny:
.............and maybe even to Cabarete now.............since this just happens to be the first post from "Cabaretesunshine"
...........and if you check back, you WILL find that the original "INFORMANT" was a Costambar resident that couldn't get along with anyone and eventually moved to Sosua..........by popular demand!
...........Where He Belongs!............... :bunny::bunny::bunny:
.............and maybe even to Cabarete now.............since this just happens to be the first post from "Cabaretesunshine"
Celosos.....I will be visiting there as I always do when I visit the country of my birth. Swim there and so far no eleventh finger growing. BTW POP Bad Boy I have a recommendation on a rental there can you recommend any other for a week stay or so. Thanks.
Hello POP. Thanks for noticing it was my 1st post. I'm usually not bored enough to sit in front of my computer all day scanning people to insult on dr1 instead of provide useful information to questions asked. However, to please your curiosity, my first post is because I have little to no knowledge of Costambar and don't believe in rumors [as previously stated]. My clients want to buy property there and I am checking into these rumors for them.
Why such bashing of Costambar???
The following statement by 'Rocky', as posted earlier this year, could be a/the source of this rumor:
"They could build a yellow brick road to Costambar, but it wouldn't change it having the most polluted beach on the entire North coast of the country.
If everything was done right, maybe it could be swimmable in 15 years."
The following statement by 'Rocky', as posted earlier this year, could be a/the source of this rumor:
"They could build a yellow brick road to Costambar, but it wouldn't change it having the most polluted beach on the entire North coast of the country.
If everything was done right, maybe it could be swimmable in 15 years."
And it it still holds.
Costambar is so polluted that I can't believe anyone would try to deny it.
Good grief !
Everyone knows how bad the port waters are and that the current goes from East to West and that the very first beach it hits is Costambar, making it the MOST polluted beach on the whole North coast of the country.
If thousands of people swim there everyday, as alluded to in an above post, then there are thousands of fools or uninformed folks.
Maybe people...........
........should read the report from the testing lab in Santo Dominigo that was put out a few years back that analyzed both the ground water and beaches in the area..............I believe it was paid for by a private group in Puerto Plata that was developing the Costa Dorado area.
I remember it stating in effect that while all ground water is polluted and will never be drinkable because of years of "septic tanks", it also stated that the Sosua cove beach area had the highest ecoli count of any of the beaches in the area which INCLUDED Costambar and Cofresi..............
..............the depth of the "cove" etc is deeper and allows less "change of water" from the sea and since all areas, including the Sosua and Cabarette area "dump" some into the sea, SOUSA BEACH is the worst........
NOW, Since that is the case, I would imagine that Cabarettesunshine would want to steer his clients area from Sosua..........which most people would do anyway, since the only ones that care for Sosua are the few that live there.
........should read the report from the testing lab in Santo Dominigo that was put out a few years back that analyzed both the ground water and beaches in the area..............I believe it was paid for by a private group in Puerto Plata that was developing the Costa Dorado area.
I remember it stating in effect that while all ground water is polluted and will never be drinkable because of years of "septic tanks", it also stated that the Sosua cove beach area had the highest ecoli count of any of the beaches in the area which INCLUDED Costambar and Cofresi..............
..............the depth of the "cove" etc is deeper and allows less "change of water" from the sea and since all areas, including the Sosua and Cabarette area "dump" some into the sea, SOUSA BEACH is the worst........
NOW, Since that is the case, I would imagine that Cabarettesunshine would want to steer his clients area from Sosua..........which most people would do anyway, since the only ones that care for Sosua are the few that live there.
I'm sure you can find the link.............
..............I do remember that the company which is based in Santo Domingo has an office on the same street as Messon in Puerto Plata, right up the street from Caribe Tours and near the 3 or 4 stores that sell Tires and Batteries.. They do testing from that office and send the samples to Santo Domingo for reports and reviews.........
AND YES, SOSUA WAS THE WORST..... Costambar and Cofresi beach are practically not protected at all (unlike Sosua) and the water is exchanged very rapidly.
You may want to contact APC from Costambar. I believe they have a copy.
..............I do remember that the company which is based in Santo Domingo has an office on the same street as Messon in Puerto Plata, right up the street from Caribe Tours and near the 3 or 4 stores that sell Tires and Batteries.. They do testing from that office and send the samples to Santo Domingo for reports and reviews.........
AND YES, SOSUA WAS THE WORST..... Costambar and Cofresi beach are practically not protected at all (unlike Sosua) and the water is exchanged very rapidly.
You may want to contact APC from Costambar. I believe they have a copy.
My experience
Don't know if the beach is polluted or not. Two years ago I venture to say it was not. Ocean World was not completed yet and I wondered what the impact of the marina would be. Could be different today. At that time, while snorkeling, I witnessed an average beach, sea lifewise. What really blew me away was seeing someone catch a bonefish there. I couldn't believe it because it was such an unlikely place. Bonefish are a barometer of water quality, I think. I also saw the harvest of spear fishermen ( boys) and was impressed with their bounty. Is it polluted? Good question.
Sollie
Don't know if the beach is polluted or not. Two years ago I venture to say it was not. Ocean World was not completed yet and I wondered what the impact of the marina would be. Could be different today. At that time, while snorkeling, I witnessed an average beach, sea lifewise. What really blew me away was seeing someone catch a bonefish there. I couldn't believe it because it was such an unlikely place. Bonefish are a barometer of water quality, I think. I also saw the harvest of spear fishermen ( boys) and was impressed with their bounty. Is it polluted? Good question.
Sollie
True, only those who live in Sosua think and wish that their beach is great, not even talking about the rest, just read the local press and see whats going on there.
If one goes and stands near the small Fortaleza at the West end of the Malecon, one will be given the opportunity to smell the worst polluted water stench of the whole North coast, perhaps the country.
Knowing full well that the next area that water goes to is Costambar, one wouldn't need a university degree nor any "reports", to know that Costambar's beach would take first prize in the poisoned beach category.
If anyone happened to accept some theory about Costambar water's being constantly refreshed, as some type of assurance that the swimming water was good there, then it might be interesting to note that it is constantly refreshed, WITH PORT WATER !!!!
The bogus theory of Sosua's beach being in a cove, therefore somehow being the main birth placed of E.coli and more polluted than Costambar, is laughable, when an 8 year old child would need only stand at the port and smell the water, then sail his wooden toy sailboat over to Costambar, and he would know where to never go swimming.
I sat down recently with Ramon Ortiz, latest retired mayor of Puerto Plata, after his 8 years in office and we had a serious talk about this very issue, and it was from his very lips, from whence came the estimate that if all went well and planned clean up projects were implemented now and in the future, that there would be a hope for Costambar's beach in 15 or 20 years.
All you need is a nose and the knowledge that our North coast waters, move from East to West, to have a definitive accurate evaluation of the intense ocean water pollution in Costambar.
Anyone who would TRULY CARE TO KNOW, may simply go stand there at the West end of the Malecon, and he/she will know where to not go swimming.
PS: Do not lump Cofreisi's waters into this. Different place, different circumstances.
PPS: I do understand that those of you who are property owners in POP or Costambar, have an investment to protect, and I wouldn't even say a word about their inherent problems, if the polluted water were not such a serious health hazard for unsuspecting tourists or newbies.
It simply would not be right.
Knowing full well that the next area that water goes to is Costambar, one wouldn't need a university degree nor any "reports", to know that Costambar's beach would take first prize in the poisoned beach category.
If anyone happened to accept some theory about Costambar water's being constantly refreshed, as some type of assurance that the swimming water was good there, then it might be interesting to note that it is constantly refreshed, WITH PORT WATER !!!!
The bogus theory of Sosua's beach being in a cove, therefore somehow being the main birth placed of E.coli and more polluted than Costambar, is laughable, when an 8 year old child would need only stand at the port and smell the water, then sail his wooden toy sailboat over to Costambar, and he would know where to never go swimming.
I sat down recently with Ramon Ortiz, latest retired mayor of Puerto Plata, after his 8 years in office and we had a serious talk about this very issue, and it was from his very lips, from whence came the estimate that if all went well and planned clean up projects were implemented now and in the future, that there would be a hope for Costambar's beach in 15 or 20 years.
All you need is a nose and the knowledge that our North coast waters, move from East to West, to have a definitive accurate evaluation of the intense ocean water pollution in Costambar.
Anyone who would TRULY CARE TO KNOW, may simply go stand there at the West end of the Malecon, and he/she will know where to not go swimming.
PS: Do not lump Cofreisi's waters into this. Different place, different circumstances.
PPS: I do understand that those of you who are property owners in POP or Costambar, have an investment to protect, and I wouldn't even say a word about their inherent problems, if the polluted water were not such a serious health hazard for unsuspecting tourists or newbies.
It simply would not be right.
We shouldn't have to rely on rumor, opinion, or our noses. As I advocated on the Green Team blog over two years ago, INDRHI, the Environment (SEMARN) and/or Health (SESPAS) Ministry should regularly check the bathing water quality on all DR beaches and publish the data on the internet in a regular, timely and transparent fashion. Enable consumers, residents, visitors and potential investors be informed about the state of their waters and choose where they spend their time and money accordingly.
Several other nations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are doing it already. How long before people ask why they can't get that sort of data in the DR too?
Perhaps once localities have to worry about informed folks knowing what they're actually swimming in, snorkeling in, playing in, and those folks are choosing their vacation and swimming spots accordingly, officials and civic leaders might suddenly have greater interest in getting it cleaned up...
Also as I suggested in that blog post long ago, DR1ers can also go beyond passivity or complaining about it and contribute in their own ways, such as:
My two cents.
Several other nations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are doing it already. How long before people ask why they can't get that sort of data in the DR too?
Perhaps once localities have to worry about informed folks knowing what they're actually swimming in, snorkeling in, playing in, and those folks are choosing their vacation and swimming spots accordingly, officials and civic leaders might suddenly have greater interest in getting it cleaned up...
Also as I suggested in that blog post long ago, DR1ers can also go beyond passivity or complaining about it and contribute in their own ways, such as:
My two cents.
I wouldn't hold my breath for transparency.
I wish it could be so, but protecting their #1 industry and meal ticket is way more important to them than worrying about some kid who gets a skin rash or whatever.
However, your following point is spot on,
and it is the true solution.
Someone or some persons will have to spend the money and take the time to make it happen, but there are inherent problems.
Let's say for example that some good concerned citizens decide to attack the Costambar problem and the best result they could expect is to have clean swimming water in 15 years, I don't think that the government would appreciate nor tolerate the bad publicity for said period of time.
The person or persons responsible for exposing the problem to the public might get forcibly silenced.
LET Ramon state his feelings and thoughts for himself. I 100 PERCENT DOUBT THAT YOU WILL GET MR. ORTIZ TO BACK UP YOUR STATEMENT. He and his family were at the beach all day on Mother's Day and he has at least 2 different family members that live in Costambar............
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Sigh.... I only asked
Gentlemen - Gentlemen! I had no intention to reopen old wounds, create animosity or to stir up what has become a town-bashing. I simply asked for the truth TO DISPEL A RUMOR and find that a few of you prefer to argue among yourselves rather than to provide substantiated facts. If I wanted a "he said"/"she said" response, I would take to rumors. Which I do not. Let's just drop this and go on about our tropical lives. Can we?
Gentlemen - Gentlemen! I had no intention to reopen old wounds, create animosity or to stir up what has become a town-bashing. I simply asked for the truth TO DISPEL A RUMOR and find that a few of you prefer to argue among yourselves rather than to provide substantiated facts. If I wanted a "he said"/"she said" response, I would take to rumors. Which I do not. Let's just drop this and go on about our tropical lives. Can we?
Agreed. Those frequenting Costambar evidently think it's fine, and point fingers instead at Sosua. Those from Sosua think their water is fine, and point fingers at Costambar.
My guess is that regular, careful, scientific sampling and testing of waters at both beaches (indeed, several popular beaches) would find that the water quality not as good as people think. But short of such sampling/testing, we have only rumors, opinions, suppositions.
Thread closed.
My guess is that regular, careful, scientific sampling and testing of waters at both beaches (indeed, several popular beaches) would find that the water quality not as good as people think. But short of such sampling/testing, we have only rumors, opinions, suppositions.
Thread closed.
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