Water supply and sanitation in Mexico

Water and Sanitation in Mexico
Mexico
Data
Access to an improved water source96% (2010)[1]
Access to improved sanitation85% (2010)[1]
Continuity of supply (%)45% (2003)[2] 71% (2011)[3]
Average urban water use (liter/capita/day)173 (2011, after losses)[3]
Average urban water tariff (US$/m3)0.32[2]
Share of customer metering58% (IMTA, 2011), 48% (CONAGUA, 2011)[3]
Share of collected wastewater treated36w% (2006)[4]
Annual investment in water supply and sanitationUS$2 billion (2005) or US$20/capita[5][a]
Investment financing69% financed through the state budget (2006)[5]
Institutions
Decentralization to municipalitiesWidespread, except for some states, since 1983
National water and sanitation companyNo
Water and sanitation regulatorNo
Responsibility for policy settingNational Water Commission
Sector lawYes (1992, amended in 2009), with a focus on water resources
Number of urban service providers2,517 (2011), including 637 in localities with more than 20,000 inhabitants[6]
Number of rural service providersn/a
  1. ^ Mex$1 = US$0.09176 in 2005

Water supply and sanitation in Mexico is characterized by achievements and challenges. Among the achievements is a significant increase in access to piped water supply in urban areas (88% to 93%) as well as in rural areas (50% to 74%) between 1990 and 2010. Additionally, a strong nationwide increase in access to improved sanitation (64% to 85%) was observed in the same period.[1] Other achievements include the existence of a functioning national system to finance water and sanitation infrastructure with a National Water Commission as its apex institution; and the existence of a few well-performing utilities such as Aguas y Drenaje de Monterrey.[7]

The challenges include water scarcity in the northern and central parts of the country; inadequate water service quality (drinking water quality; 55% of Mexicans receiving water only intermittently according to results of the 2000 census); poor technical and commercial efficiency of most utilities (with an average level of non-revenue water of 51% in 2003); an insufficient share of wastewater receiving treatment (36% in 2006); and still inadequate access in rural areas. In addition to on-going investments to expand access, the government has embarked on a large investment program to improve wastewater treatment.

  1. ^ a b c Data on water coverage from the UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) 2010
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference IPER 27-31 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference PIGOO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference CONAGUA treatment was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference CONAGUA 120 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Programa de Indicadores de Gestión de Organismos Operadores (PIGOO) del Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua (IMTA): Indicadores de Gestion Prioritarios en Organismos Operadores
  7. ^ "Servicios de Agua y Drenaje de Monterrey I.P.D".