The water solutions 2 Mexican states are mulling

To deal with recurring droughts and water stress, the Mexican states of Baja California and Nuevo León are considering desalination and water reuse. 

In Baja California, desalination is seen as a key part of a strategy that involves multiple components, the state’s finance minister, Marco Moreno Mexia, told a forum in San Antonio, Texas, hosted by NADBank. 

Moreno talked about how droughts are affecting the Colorado river, whose water is shared by Mexico and the US.

“Given the situation of hydric stress the Colorado river has, the alternative for Baja California will be with processes like desalination to supply additional water,” he said.

As part of this plan, the state is finishing the engineering plan to build the delayed Rosarito desalination plant, expected to provide 2.2m3/s, according to Moreno. A tender is planned for the coming months. The local government is also considering building one desalination plant in the Ensenada area and one in San Quintín.

Moreno added that the state is rehabilitating seven wastewater treatment plants, drafting the engineering plan for another one in Tecate, and the executive project for the Las Arenitas plant in Mexicali, which would provide 1,200l/s. Baja California has requested NADBank’s help to finance this latter project. 

Meanwhile, Nuevo León’s 2050 water plan also includes desalination and water reuse, but the focus is on the latter due to the state’s geographical location. 

“We have several work strategies, diversifying is important,” the general director of water services of capital Monterrey, Juan Ignacio Barragán, told the forum. “We are working on new projects to analyze aquifers with a certain salinity degree and we are seeking desalination processes, but the first line of action that we see for the future is related to water reuse.”

With this goal in mind, the state is working on a project for indirect reuse of potable water in Monterrey. “We are in talks with NADBank to finance it. It would provide 2,400l/s. The executive project will soon be finished,” said Barragán.

He added that, given Monterrey’s strong industrial sector, the state is interested in increasing the amount of reused water supplied to companies. 

“We receive approximately 16m3/s for the city, of which 99% is treated. We are selling close to 1,400l/s to industries, and we are in the process of acquiring an additional 2,000l/s of treated water for industrial use. We have a client, Ternium, that will consume 1,400l/s.”