Mexico’s Water Crisis: Financial Struggles Threaten 14% of Water Supply

The success of the National Water Plan recently introduced by the Mexican government hinges on the financial and institutional strengthening of local water and sanitation operators. Experts emphasize the need for these bodies to have sufficient budget for operating water purification and wastewater treatment plants, wells, and collectors. Addressing the country's severe leakage problem is also crucial.

Raúl Rodríguez Márquez, President of the Water Advisory Council, notes that local water operators handle 14% of the country's water consumption. These companies, he says, are making strides in water use efficiency despite facing criticism.

José Lara Lona, President of the National Association of Water and Sanitation Entities of Mexico (ANEAS), stresses the importance of bolstering these service providers. Water-related projects, like those recently introduced by President Claudia Sheinbaum, require substantial operational efforts. Lona laments the continual reduction in resources for these bodies, which are responsible for delivering water to consumers.

Lona suggests that the issue of service charges needs to be addressed, as not everyone is currently paying. He believes that municipal and state authorities should assist in collection efforts to break the cycle of poor payment leading to poor service. As these organizations are strengthened, he argues, issues such as leaks can be progressively resolved. "It is useless to have more water if it is going to be wasted," he says.

The president of ANES states that the operating costs of purification and treatment plants should be covered by water charges. However, some municipalities fail to collect enough to cover these costs and require support from either state or federal government.

According to the National Inventory of Municipal Water Purification Plants by Conagua, as of December 2023, there were 978 operational plants. These plants had an installed capacity of 151.3 cubic meters per second and a purified flow of 112.8 cubic meters per second. In 2020, there were 997 plants, indicating a decrease of 19 plants over three years. It's clear that not all of the country's 2,446 municipalities have a water purification plant.