Centro Historico: A River Runs Through It

Eleven magnificent rivers flow majestically through the mountains, hills, valleys, villages, farmland and cities of Sinaloa...

All of these rivers that travel through the state spring from the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range system that runs from the northwest in Sonora to the southeast all the way to the Sea of Cortez, which is also known as the Gulf of California.

BUT – there is another river that flows through Mazatlan, though “majestic” is not a word one could use to describe it. This river is perhaps the shortest river in all of Mexico, but its impact is tremendous. This river is a relatively new addition to Mexico’s waterways. It is entirely man made and is a feature that ebbs and flows throughout the city, based on the whims of powerful people who care more for profits to be made from future residents than the health and well-being of the people who already live here.

I am talking about the now-legendary Rio Caca, also known as Rio Mierda. At present, this river of human urine and feces flows at a rate of about 800 liters per hour from Ice Box Hill, down Calle Herradura, where it follows the curves of the street in both directions to Calle Pederogoso; continuing its rancid journey to Angel Flores, where the river of human waste finally empties into the sea between the Carpe Olivera Swimming Pool and Olas Altas Beach.

This is not an occasional event due to a minor plumbing accident that is quickly fixed by the builders and developers at the behest of City Hall and Jumapam. No. Human waste has been flowing freely down the hill and into the sea for over a year. It began when three condominium buildings were constructed without proper approval by Jumapam. When the construction was complete, the plumbing for the forty new units – FORTY NEW UNITS – was tied into a single 6-inch drain line, which was then tapped into an existing 4-inch drain line meant to serve the needs of a single-family home. As one can imagine – when forty 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom units have all of their wastewater flowing into a single drain line – the end results is sewage flowing down the streets of Centro Historico.

Citizens and residents have frequently called to report and complain about this issue. City attorneys and representatives of Jumapam have repeatedly made promises that the developers and builders will be held accountable and forced to fix the problem – but it has not happened, and one must wonder if it ever will.

For over a year raw sewage has flowed freely through the streets, where it mingles with tourists. Undoubtedly, the smell makes a memorable addition to their visit to the Beatles Monument or when stepping across streams of used toilet paper to climb the steps to the colorful homes of Angel Flores.

When these free-spending tourists return to the homes and talk to friends about their cruises, the holidays, visits and vacations to Mazatlan – will they recall the charming atmosphere of Pino Suarez Market? Will they share stories of the excellent restaurants, beautiful architecture, and marvelous atmosphere that pulses through the city? Probably. But they will also say, “Too bad they have sewage flowing through the streets in the middle of town. Can you imagine how bad it must be everywhere else?”

Far from handling the problem, the city and Jumapam have stood silently, shrugging their shoulders and making empty promises. Perhaps they believe if they shrug enough, the problem will just go away or the builders will suddenly gain a conscience and do it of their own free will.

The reality is quite the opposite. Last week, another excavation for a new high rise condo tower on Ice Box Hill cut into another sewage line. This time, instead of re-routing it into an already overtaxed 4-inch line… they simply rerouted the line to an old rock stairway down to the street, where it is pouring raw sewage into the street at a rate of 800 liters per hour. How do I know it is 800 liters per hour? I collected the sewage into four-liter buckets, timed the flow, and did the math. I’m being generous, by the way. 800 liters per hour is a low estimate.

I wholeheartedly believe that the lives of all reside in Mazatlan are charmed, and we are fortunate to be here. In the Legendary Sinaloa band, El Recodo’s classic hit song, there is a line that, loosely translated, states: “Even a pauper feels like a millionaire in Mazatlan.” This has always been true for me and most of the others I know who live here. But, if the sewage continues to flow freely through the streets without any intervention by those who are chosen to lead the city, the opposite will be true, and El Recodo’s song must be re-written to state,
“Even the millionaires will feel like they are paupers, if raw sewage is allowed to flow freely through the streets of this proud city.”

I know that in the corridors of power, there somebody in charge, somebody in leadership, somebody who has authority and the will to use it – fix this problem. I believe that once the problem is known to those at the top, it can and will be solved.