Water Scandal Uncovered: Shocking Price Disparity

Residents in the northern region of Yucatán state pay 60.93 pesos for a cubic meter of water. In contrast, the Scientific Research Center of Yucatán AC, which is affiliated with the National Council for Science and Technology, pays only 3.80 pesos for the same amount. The total that the Center will pay for 12,000 cubic meters of water throughout 2024 is a mere 52,801 pesos. This has led to speculation about the motives behind the campaign to remove the concession from Aguakán, with suggestions that it may be transferred to another company linked to Claudia Sheinbaum or a group of Cancun entrepreneurs.

As the state government, congressmen, judges, lawyers, and politicians in Quintana Roo fight to take over the concession for water and sewage services from Aguakán, the company continues to profit from its Quintana Roo customers. It also sells water to Yucatán at a significantly reduced price. Hydraulics Developments of Cancún, SA de CV was granted a one-year contract to supply water to the Scientific Research Center of Yucatán AC.

Interestingly, Aguakán is selling water at a price that many Quintanaroo residents would envy. The company has committed to supplying a thousand cubic meters of water every ten days each month. The invoice does not specify whether this refers to a thousand cubic meters every ten days or 100 thousand liters of water every 30 days. If it's the latter, it would be a great injustice to the people of Quintana Roo. The Studies Center pays 3,879 pesos a month for water. A typical household pays 60.93 pesos for each cubic meter, which is a significant cost to users. Even if customers do not use a single liter of water, they are still required to pay the minimum fee of 256.88 pesos.

The Scientific Research Center of Yucatán AC in Cancún will pay just 52,801 pesos for 12,000 cubic meters of water, or 120,000 liters of water, throughout 2024. According to Hydraulics Developments of Cancún SA de CV, Aguakán serves 463 thousand water outlets, 94% of which are for domestic use. This equates to a population of approximately 1.48 million inhabitants across the municipalities of Benito Juárez, Isla Mujeres, Puerto Morelos, and Solidaridad, in the state of Quintana Roo.

Based on the fixed fee of 256.88 pesos, the company charges 380 million pesos each month, totaling 1.14 billion pesos every quarter. In 2023, they charged approximately 4.57 billion pesos. This lucrative business has sparked a legal battle for the concession, with some suggesting that the campaign to take the concession from Hydraulics Developments of Cancún SA de CV, also known as Aguakan, may have ulterior motives.