The Ministry of the Environment is investigating the dumping of sewage from the Chicharón estuary into the ocean near Montañita, a popular tourist and surf spot on Ecuador’s Route of the Sun coastal highway. 

Montañita is preparing to host the 2013 World Masters Surfing Competition between April 6 and 14. No sort of dumping of sewage into the ocean was authorized by the authorities, the department says.

The Chicharón estuary is a contaminated body of water that always smells putrid, say residents. Last weekend, people complained that the estuary was being drained into the ocean. They posted a video to YouTube showing heavy machinery opening up a drainage ditch late at night. Since the ditch was opened supposedly on March 21, the estuary now drains directly into the ocean.

In the video, posted below, the activists search for the culprit of the crime or the decision, but find no answers. They do find a pick-up truck bearing the logo of Aguapen, the water and sewage utility in the province of Santa Elena,

The Chicharón estuary is behind many hotels and nightclubs that are rumoured to use it for their own waste. As tourism in the area has increased, so have the water levels in Chicharón.

This controversy coincides with another accusation of overzealous preparations for the World Masters. Over the weekend, the towns dogs were rounded up from the street and the beach, removed by truck, and reportedly then abandoned at a nearby garbage dump. The communes leader says it was a clean-up effort. But dog owners and animal rights activists who have since gone to the dump to look for the animals have not been able to locate them. The fall-out has included a call for the surf events cancellation. 

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