Belize

GnOUNDWATER PROVINCES
OF BELIZE
Figure IV-9. - Groundwater provinces of Belize.
Wells drilled to limestone of probable Eocene age at
San Felipe report good quality water from 30 m. Flowing
wells less than 30 m deep have been reported from San
Antonio and Douglas near the Rio Hondo, but the Douglas
well contained hydrogen sulfide gas and was abandoned; an
18 m well drilled east of town contains good water.
In the extreme northeast near Sarteneja and southwest
to near Cowpen, water is obtained from hand-dug
wells in a hard, porous, highly fossiliferous limestone of
probable Miocene age. The village well at Sarteneja is probably
the oldest in Belize; it was apparently dug by the Maya
(Fig. IV-IO). It is 2 m deep and I m in diameter with about
I m of water; numerous small milpa farms in the area have
similar wolls. Residents say the village name Sarteneja is
Mayan for "water in the rock". The water may be a
"perched" aquifer over salt water or it could be a discharge
area for the underlYing CamplIr limestone.
A similar situation exists on Ambergris Cay. The
northern part of the cay is an old reef with very porous,
fossiliferous limestone; a miniature karst topography exists
with numerous sink holes and natural wells. Fresh water is
abundant and some of the natural wells are reported to be
more than 10m deep.
At the southern end of the cay the fishing village of
San Pedro obtains its water from shallow, low-yielding wells
hand-dug or drilled about 4·5 m deep in coral sand. Water
shortages and contamination problems in San Pedro have
been caused by overuse associated with tourism development.
A possible solution to the water supply problem
would be deeper wells, preferably 1·2 km north of town
where the limestone is close to the surface. Wells should be
cased to the top of the limestone to eliminate pOSSible
contamination through the sand.
North of the Belize River, mostly unsuccessful
attempts have been made to obtain water from wells less
than 30 III deep. Water is contained in thin beds or pockets
of sand and gravel that was reworked along old shorelines,
so unless a good deposit can be found, chances for
abundant shallow water are slim. Closer to the Maya
Mountains the underlying CamplIr limestone is nearer to
Figure IV-10. - Maya well at Sarteneja. (photo L. Nicolaltl
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