Water supply and sanitation in Mexico
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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]
Water and Sanitation in Mexico | |
---|---|
Data | |
Access to an improved water source | 96% (2010)[1] |
Access to improved sanitation | 85% (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 metering | 58% (IMTA, 2011), 48% (CONAGUA, 2011)[3] |
Share of collected wastewater treated | 36w% (2006)[4] |
Annual investment in water supply and sanitation | US$2 billion (2005) or US$20/capita[5][lower-alpha 1] |
Investment financing | 69% financed through the state budget (2006)[5] |
Institutions | |
Decentralization to municipalities | Widespread, except for some states, since 1983 |
National water and sanitation company | No |
Water and sanitation regulator | No |
Responsibility for policy setting | National Water Commission |
Sector law | Yes (1992, amended in 2009), with a focus on water resources |
Number of urban service providers | 2,517 (2011), including 637 in localities with more than 20,000 inhabitants[6] |
Number of rural service providers | n/a |
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.