Hurricane Stan Contributed To Pollution Headaches At Lake Atitlan

The region is a big tourist attraction, but also one of the poorest in Guatemala

By Greg Szymanski, JD
April 20, 2010

In October 2005, Hurricane Stan ripped through the town of Panajachel on Lake Atitlan and many lives were lost.

The storm caused great damage to infrastructure, private property and knocking out the waste water treatment plant.

Panajachel is one of the larger towns on the lake with a population estimated at over 14,000.

It also produces the largest litter and raw sewage volume on the lake, adding to the pollution that created the toxic cyanobacteria outbreak last year.

The sewage plant has yet to be repaired or replaced, meaning the untreated waste of 14,000 residents pours directly into the lake.

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