Mexico's finance ministry defines priority waterworks for next year's budget

Mexico's 2018 budget proposal submitted to congress for approval Friday by finance ministry SHCP earmarks 11.7bn pesos (US$663mn) for environment ministry Semarnat for 17 projects.

Some of the initiatives in the list of projects are managed by water authority Conagua, which although an autonomous entity operates under Semarnat, and are located in different parts of the country.

Among the ongoing projects, the SHCP's proposal allocated funds for the construction of major dam projects. For the controversial El Zapotillo reservoir in Jalisco state, which entails the construction of a dam and a pipeline to supply water to the neighboring state of Guanajuato –both of which face an uncertain future–, the SHCP proposed to allocate 1.5bn pesos.

As for El Purgatorio dam, a project that is being revived also in Jalisco state, the amount earmarked for next year would be 100mn.

Meanwhile, the 62.4km Emisor Oriente drainage tunnel, a long-delayed project for which construction works began in 2008, would be earmarked 5bn pesos for next year if the proposal is approved by congress.

The construction of the 26.7km Picachos-Mazatlán pipeline in Sinaloa state, which local authorities said was 500mn pesos short of funding, would be allocated 150mn for next year, while the Centenario irrigation canal in Nayarit state would be earmarked 98mn pesos.

In addition, the future Mexico City international airport, which is currently under construction, would receive 3.18bn pesos from Conagua to carry out waterworks at the site.

Another nine projects included in the list entail providing maintenance to existing infrastructure, such as the Cutzamala system serving Mexico City (500mn), the Mexico Valley water system infrastructure (250mn), the rehabilitation of the Lázaro Cárdenas aqueduct in Michoacán state (25mn), and upgrading the Uxpanapa La Cangrejera pipeline in Veracruz (70mn), among other.

The remaining two allocations are for the purchase of facilities for the ministry's agencies.

This move leaves out another 139 projects for which no funds were proposed, such as the construction of the Milpillas dam in Zacatecas state, and the El Caracol wastewater treatment plant, among others.