Opposition candidate Gálvez’s water plans for Mexico come under scrutiny

The water plans that Mexico’s leading opposition candidate in this year’s presidential election, Xóchitl Gálvez, laid out prioritize the use of treated water to recharge depleted aquifers but that could prove far more complex than expected, BNamericas was told.

Gálvez presented her infrastructure and water plans on March 14, outlining what she would do if she wins the June 2 election. 

“There will be mass recharging of the country's aquifers with treated wastewater,” she said. “We will invest heavily in water treatment and upgrade water treatment plants that are no longer operating.”

Manuel Lizardi, a member of the Mexican hydraulics association (AMH) and the World Water Council (WWC), said the proposal is positive. 

“It’s an excellent idea to recharge aquifers with treated water. Here in Tijuana we receive 5m3 of water per second, 80% of that becomes wastewater and 90% of that wastewater is discharged into the sea,” he said in an interview with BNamericas. 

However, the plan might prove complex to carry out, as it would require big investments in water infrastructure projects, as well as environmental studies, interinstitutional cooperation and a public education campaign. 

“Before implementing any project to recharge the aquifers with treated water, an environmental impact evaluation must be carried out to determine the possible impact that this could have on biodiversity, ecosystems, and the quality of soil because it could potentially damage the environment,” senior associate at DAT Consultores and environmental expert Miguel Cancino told BNamericas. 

He added that a large investment will be required to build wastewater treatment facilities that can produce treated water that meets quality standards, along with an adequate distribution system to transfer the water from treatment plants to recharging areas. 

“If the quality of water is not guaranteed it will have negative effects on the health [of consumers] and the environment,” he said. 

According to article 27 of the Mexican constitution, water is a common good that belongs to the nation, therefore interinstitutional cooperation will be required to recharge aquifers, involving municipalities, state administrations and the federal government. 

“They will surely overlap because the aquifers may have a location that is not necessarily in the territory managed by one of these government entities. It will require effective planning involving the three levels of government,” said Cancino. 

More importantly, Gálvez’s plan should be accompanied by a public education campaign, to show people that treated wastewater is safe for domestic use. 

“The acceptance of society is crucial for this policy. If they don’t accept it and there’s no scientific evidence to support this [view], it won’t work,” said Cancino.

According to polls, pro-government candidate Claudia Sheinbaum is the favorite to win in June.