So our ground is a bit different than most places, below us is all limestone bedrock and below that is our aquifer system. I know there is a cenote close by due to the trees.. my neighbours have just been tossing kitchen waste in this hole they dug and no other maintenance or anything is being done to it.. as you can see it’s pretty full and I wonder what’s going on down below and if what they are doing is incorrect and if there is a better way to be doing this?
Thanks all in advance.
by karma_made_me_do_eet
8 Comments
Looks perfectly acceptable to me.
What is the issue you are thinking is wrong?
The issue you have here is not minding your own business and thinking you are allowed to have any input on how your neighbor composts.
Good fences make good neighbors.
If they’ve been composting there for 3 years then leave em be. This is the process. Mind your own.
Unless they’re disposing or sewage. Or harmful waste. Like motor oil. Or other toxic chemicals. There’s very little to zero risk to the ground water
Going on down below? Are you worried that the composting will cause a sinkhole to open up, where it maybe otherwise wouldn’t have, or something?
I guess I’m not a geologist, nor a biologist, but I don’t think that any chemical reaction or biological process from small-scale composting will cause a new cenote to open up right next to your property. As long as they are only adding food scraps, and not bits of plastic/wire, there’s most likely nothing to worry about here.
Are you concerned with vermin, or smell, or something else per chance? From the way you wrote your post, it sounds like you’re concerned about a cenote/sinkhole happening as a direct result of… composting a small amount of kitchen scraps.
Again, I’m no professional, and I’ve only been to the Rivera Maya region twice in my life, but if anything, I would think that healthier and more diverse/nutrient-rich soil would lead to more robust and healthier plants, with healthier and stronger root systems, leading to a decreased possibility of a cenote/sinkhole opening up due to unstable/eroded ground.
Edit: are you maybe worried about compost “polluting” the aquifer? If that’s the concern, I would say that there are likely MUCH worse things polluting your aquifer than compost. If anything, this might be the least pollution-introducing way to handle this type of waste, as it’s generally scientifically accepted/proven that it’s better to small-scale compost than to add it to a giant landfill.
If this is kitchen waste in the hole, then it is probably fine. Just as the plant matter from the trees and shrubs falls and decays in the ground without causing problems, the kitchen waste will be fine. This is just becoming part of the soil.
If they dump sewage, animal feces, or household chemicals there, it could cause problems.
Pee on it.
Hi there!
You seem to be new to composting, so welcome to our sub, and you came to the right place to ask questions!
As for your concern for the groundwater system, this composting method should be totally fine! The trees, leaves, grass, etc is all composting in place all around you, so don’t worry about kitchen scraps, it’s helping to build top soil on your rocky ground!
As long as nobody pours any chemicals or oils on the pile, it should be right as rain. If you’re interested in starting to compost yourself, you can even ask your neighbor if you can add in your kitchen scraps, too! Or ask for a bit of their compost to help season & start your own pile.
You’re very lucky to have neighbors who compost, because chances are, they’re not using pesticides or harmful chemicals on their grounds, which helps the biodiversity in your community. Congratulations on your unofficial entry to the composting community!