Now That’s Rationing: Mexico to Turn Off Water to 2M People for THREE DAYS EVERY MONTH!!! (AZStarNet)

Feb.02, 2009 in Public Works, Water Crisis, Water Management

(Feb. 2, 2009, AZStarNet)

Mexico City shut down a main water pipeline under a new conservation program, cutting service to more than 2 million residents Sunday after some reservoirs dropped to their lowest levels in 16 years.

The Mexico City government and the National Water Commission will interrupt service for three days every month until May, when the rainy season begins.

Mexico City’s government says the plan will affect everyone from those living in million-dollar mansions to concrete hovels. Another 13 cities in the metro area of 20 million also will see service reduced, the National Water
Commission said.

To prepare for the three-day shutdown, which ends Tuesday, residents filled cisterns, saved water in buckets and were flushing toilets and doing the wash only when necessary.

Even before this weekend, some residents have had virtually no running water because of the poor condition of their pipes.

City water pipes are so leaky, experts estimate that 40 percent of drinking water is lost, and nearly all Mexico City’s abundant rainfall simply flows into sewage drains.

The shutoff also will allow authorities to make much-needed repairs to the pipelines.

Officials say they have no choice: An unusually dry rainy season last year left the city’s water system, with seven reservoirs, at 63 percent capacity compared with 85 percent in previous years, according to a government news release. The system supplies 25 percent of the metropolitan area’s water.

(Original Article Here)