Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Water-resources reconnaissance of Île de la Gonâve, Haiti

  • Report
  • Published:
Hydrogeology Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Île de la Gonâve is a 750-km2 island off the coast of Haiti. The depth to the water table ranges from less than 30 m in the Eocene and Upper Miocene limestones to over 60 m in the 300-m-thick Quaternary limestone. Annual precipitation ranges from 800–1,400 mm. Most precipitation is lost through evapotranspiration and there is virtually no surface water. Roughly estimated from chloride mass balance, about 4% of the precipitation recharges the karst aquifer. Cave pools and springs are a common source for water. Hand-dug wells provide water in coastal areas. Few productive wells have been drilled deeper than 60 m. Reconnaissance field analyses indicate that groundwater in the interior is a calcium-bicarbonate type, whereas water at the coast is a sodium-chloride type that exceeds World Health Organization recommended values for sodium and chloride. Tests for the presence of hydrogen sulfide-producing bacteria were negative in most drilled wells, but positive in cave pools, hand-dug wells, and most springs, indicating bacterial contamination of most water sources. Because of the difficulties in obtaining freshwater, the 110,000 inhabitants use an average of only 7 L per person per day.

Résumé

L’Île de la Gonâve est une île de 750 km2 au large de la côte d’Haïti. La profondeur de la nappe varie entre moins de 30 m dans les calcaires de l’Éocène et du Miocène supérieur à plus de 60 m dans les calcaires quaternaires épais de 300 m. Les précipitations annuelles sont comprises entre 800–1.400 mm. La plus grande partie des précipitations est perdue par évapotranspiration et il n’y a pratiquement pas d’eau de surface. Le bilan de masse des chlorures permet d’estimer à 4% des précipitations le montant de la recharge de l’aquifère karstique. Des bassins dans les grottes et des sources sont la source d’eau courante. Des puits creusés à la main fournissent de l’eau dans les zones côtières. Quelques puits productifs ont été forés dépassant 60 m de profondeur. L’analyse des reconnaissances de terrain indique que les eaux souterraines à l’intérieur de l’île sont de faciès bicarbonaté calcique, tandis que l’eau près de la côte a un faciès chloruré sodique dépassant les valeurs recommandées par l’OMS pour le sodium et les chlorures. Des tests pour la présence de bactéries productrices d’hydrogène sulfuré se sont révélés négatifs dans la plupart des forages, mais positifs dans la plupart des sources captées et tous les autres sources, bassins de grottes et puits creusés à la main, ce qui indique une contamination bactérienne de la plupart des sources d’eau. Du fait des difficultés pour s’approvisionner en eau douce, les 110.000 habitants utilisent en moyenne seulement 7 L par personne et par jour.

Resumen

La Isla de la Gonavê, cercana a la costa de Haití, tiene 750 km2. La profundidad al nivel freático está comprendida entre menos de 30 m para las calcitas del Eoceno y Mioceno Superior y más de 60 m en el acuífero de calcitas cuaternarias, el cual posee 300 m de espesor. La precipitación anual varía entre 800–1.400 mm, si bien la mayor parte se pierde por evapotranspiración y prácticamente no hay aguas superficiales. Según un balance de masas de cloruros, alrededor del 4% de la precipitación recarga el acuífero kárstico. Las cavidades y manantiales son una fuente habitual de agua. Los pozos excavados proporcionan agua en las áreas costeras. Pocos pozos productivos se han perforado a más de 60 m. El reconocimiento de los análisis de campo indica que las aguas subterráneas son de tipo bicarbonatado-cálcico en el interior, mientras que es de tipo clorurado-sódico en la costa, donde se sobrepasan las concentraciones recomendadas por la Organización Mundial de la Salud para sodio y cloruro. Los ensayos efectuados para detectar la presencia de bacterias productoras de sulfuro de hidrógeno resultaron negativos en la mayoría de los pozos perforados, pero fueron positivos en la muchos manantiales explotados y en todos los manantiales, cavidades y pozos excavados, hecho que indica la contaminación bacteriana de la mayor parte de fuentes de agua. Debido a las dificultades para obtener agua dulce, los 110.000 habitantes utilizan una media de sólo 7 L por persona al día.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2 A
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Calvesbert RJ (1970) Climate of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Climatography of the United States Report No 60–52, U.S. Department of Commerce, Environmental Science Services Administration

  • Centre d’Etudes et de Réalisations Cartographiques Géographiques (1989) Carte Géologique de la République D’Haïti [Geologic map of the Republic of Haiti]. 4 sheets, scale 1:250,000, Bureau des Mines et de l’Energie, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

  • Constance P (1999) What price water? IDB América, Washington DC, pp 3–5

  • Dolan JF, Mann P (eds) (1998) Active strike-slip and collisional tectonics of the Northern Caribbean Plate Boundary Zone. Special Paper No. 236, Geological Society of America, Littleton, Colorado

  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2000a) Irrigation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome

  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2000b) The state of food insecurity in the world 2000. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome

  • Gleick PH (1996) Basic water requirements for human activities: meeting basic needs. Water Int 21:83–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Gleick PH (1999) The human right to water. Water Policy 1:487–503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gleick PH (2002) The world’s water 2002–2003. Island Press, Washington, DC

  • Gleick PH, Wolff G, Chalecki EL, Reyes R (2002) The new economy of water. Pacific Institute, Oakland, California

  • Grant MA, Ziel CA (1996) Evaluation of a simple screening test for fecal pollution in water. Journal of Water Supply: Resesarch and Technology Aqua 45:13–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanshaw BB, Back W (1980) Chemical mass-wasting of the northern Yucatan Peninsula by groundwater dissolution. Geology 8:222–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Haiti Foratech (1989) Enquete sur les Ressources de L’Île de la Gonâve [Inquiry into the resources of Île de la Gonâve], Consulting report for World Vision International, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

  • Koopman KF (1955) A new subspecies of Chilonycteris from the West Indies and a discussion of the mammals of La Gonâve. J Mammal 36:109–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Kromoredjo P, Fujioka RS (1991) Evaluating three simple methods to assess the microbial quality of drinking water in Indonesia. Environ Toxicol Water Qual 6:259–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis JF, Draper G (1990) Geology and tectonic evolution of the northern Caribbean margin. In: Dengo G (ed) The Caribbean region. Geological Society of America, Littleton, Colorado, pp 77–140

  • Lindegger MO (2002) Water harvesting in Haiti. EcoLogical Solutions Ltd., Conondale, Australia

  • Manja KS, Maurya MS, Rao KM (1982) A simple field test for the detection of fecal pollution in drinking water. Bull World Health Org 60:797–801

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mann P, Taylor FW, Edwards RL, Ku T-L (1995) Actively evolving microplate formation by oblique collision and sideways motion along strike-slip faults: an example from the northeastern Caribbean plate margin. Tectonophysics 246:1–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller GS (1930) Three small collections of mammals from Hispaniola. Smithsonian Misc Coll 82(15):1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Molina-Rivera, WL (1998) Estimated water use in Puerto Rico, 1995. Open-File Report 98–276, US Geological Survey, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

  • Mylroie JE, Carew JL (1990) The flank margin model for dissolution cave development in carbonate platforms. Earth Surf Process Landf 15:413–424

    Google Scholar 

  • Mylroie JE, Jenson JW, Taborosi D, Jocson JMU, Vann DT, Wexel C (2001) Karst features of Guam in terms of a general model of carbonate island karst. J Cave Karst Stud 63:9–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Poole AJ (1930) Explorations in Haitian caves: explorations and field-work of the Smithsonian Institution in 1929. Smithsonian, Washington DC, pp 63–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Solley WB, Pierce RR, Perlman HA, (1998) Estimated use of water in the United States in 1995. Water Circular No. 1200, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia

  • Sphere Project (2000) Humanitarian charter and minimum standards in disaster response. Engl. ed., Oxfam Publishing, Oxford

  • Spruijt HD (1984) Interim reports on the hydrogeological investigation of the island of La Gonâve, Republic of Haiti. Compassion International, Inc., Port-au-Prince, Haiti

  • Sullivan CA (2002) Calculating a water poverty index. World Dev 30:1195–1210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan CA, Meigh JR, Fediw T (2002) Developing and testing of the water poverty index: phase 1 final report. Report to the Department for International Development, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Development Program (1990) Carte Hydrogéologique République d’Haiti [Hydrogeologic Map of the Republic of Haiti]. United Nations Development Program, New York

  • Veeken H (1993) Hope for Haiti? Br Med J 307(6899):312–313

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO (2003) Water for people, water for life: a joint report by the twenty three UN agencies concerned with freshwater., UNESCO, Berghahn Books, New York

  • World Bank (2000) The little data book 2000. World Bank, Washington, DC

  • World Health Organization (1993) Guidelines for drinking water quality, vol 1, 2nd edn. WHO, Geneva

  • World Health Organization (1998) Guidelines for drinking-water quality, Addendum to vol 1, 2nd edn. WHO, Geneva

  • World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund (2000) Global water supply and sanitation assessment 2000 report. WHO, Geneva and UNICEF, New York

  • Woodring WP, Brown JS, Burbank WS (1924) Geology of the Republic of Haiti. Department of Public Works, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the residents of Île de la Gonâve for their friendly assistance and cooperation. In addition, the authors would like to thank the Methodist Church of Haiti, the Episcopal Church of Haiti, the Union Church of San Juan, Lifewater International, and the Rotary Club of San Juan for their support. This paper was prepared as part of the U.S. Geological Survey WEBB (Water Energy and Biogeochemical Budgets) Program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Caribbean District, U.S. Geological Survey, 651 Federal Drive, Suite 400–15, Guaynabo, PR 00936-5703, USA

    Joseph W. Troester

  2. Lifewater International, PO Box 3131, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93403, USA

    Michael D. Turvey

Authors
  1. Joseph W. Troester
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael D. Turvey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph W. Troester.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Troester, J.W., Turvey, M.D. Water-resources reconnaissance of Île de la Gonâve, Haiti. Hydrogeology Journal 12, 224–236 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-003-0309-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-003-0309-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation