Mexico’s capital, Mexico City, is facing a severe drinking water shortage that could deprive much of the metropolis of nearly 22 million people of vital supplies within months. This was reported by newspaper El País.
The water crisis in Mexico City, the second largest city in Latin America and one of the top ten cities in the world by population, is caused by a combination of factors.
According to experts, this has been affected by reduced rainfall, rising temperatures, poor infrastructure and urban sprawl. All this threatens to lead to a complete stop of water supply to citizens’ homes.
The metropolis is pumping water twice as fast as groundwater is being recharged, according to Jorge Alberto Arriaga, water network coordinator at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
About 60% of Mexico City’s water supply comes from groundwater, with the remainder pumped from outside the capital. At the same time, up to 40% of the liquid is lost along the way due to leaks in pipelines.
Authorities hope to solve the problem by drilling new wells and improving wastewater treatment, but these measures may not be enough to save Mexico’s capital from drought. Officials also predict that the rainy season will begin, but this will not happen until May or June.
Previous scientists open Mexico is among the countries most vulnerable to depletion of drinking water resources.