Mexico scrambling to finish 3 key water projects by end of AMLO's term

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has given an update on the progress of works on three flagship water projects that he wants to complete before October next year. 

With his government term coming to an end that month, the administration is scrambling to finish all of its priority infrastructure projects in time, as well as the Santa María dam in Sinaloa state, which was not included in the update. 

Healthy Water for La Laguna  

The project is designed to transfer water from the Nazas River to four municipalities in Durango state and six in Coahuila state, whose inhabitants currently consume water polluted with arsenic because groundwater is scarce, AMLO said during his morning press conference. 

“The first stage will be inaugurated in December … 1000l/s and we will increase supply to cover nine municipalities of La Laguna [region],” he said. 

At the end of July, AMLO himself said the project had only progressed 29%, according to daily La Jornada.

El Cuchillo II aqueduct

The first stage of the 80km aqueduct in Nuevo León state was opened on September 13, beginning with the transfer of 1000l/s of water. 

Last Saturday, the pumping stations began supplying another 1,200l/s, amounting to 2,200l/s of water for the metropolitan area of state capital Monterrey. 

“Before year-end in December, there will be 5000l/s and that will allow Monterrey and its metropolitan area to avoid what happened last year," AMLO said, referring to serious water shortages. 

"We're working in coordination with the government of Nuevo León,” the president added. 

El Zapotillo aqueduct

The works involve building a 60km aqueduct to bring water from the Zapotillo dam in Jalisco state to the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, Mexico's second city. 

The aqueduct is still under construction and will be finished and opened in December, according to the president. 

“We will start supplying 1,000l/s from El Zapotillo to Guadalajara and in February at the latest we will increase that to 3,000l/s, and with that we will have enough water for the metropolitan area,” he said.