22 March 2011

Mexico City wants to save one billion liters of water per day

City officials will monitor water consumption in over 250 buildings to design a new consumption model

By BRONSON PETTITT

Mexico Weekly / March 22, 2011

Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard announced an ambitious program to save one billion liters of water per day in the capital.

Ebrard unveiled his proposal on Tuesday, which marked World Water Day.

For two months, city officials will monitor water consumption in 20 government buildings, 20 private buildings, 50 schools, 100 households and 100 homes of city officials, according to the Mexico City government website.

Some of the buildings to be monitored are the Torre Mayor (the tallest building in Mexico), the World Trade Center and the Mexican Stock Exchange.

With these results, the city government will design a new consumption model that will eventually save up to one billion liters of water per day.

Ebrard called on citizen's to reduce water consumption as well.

“The government can't do this alone – each one of us has to participate,” Ebrard said at one of the city's water testing facilities. “The government must reduce consumption by 20 percent in prisons, offices and the entire Metro system.”

Water Shortages Expected

The measures come two days after spring officially began, which marks the dry and hot season in many parts of Mexico. With little precipitation to refill aquifers until June, many residents, especially in poorer areas, are expecting water shortages.

City officials say a third of the capital's 1,815 neighborhoods are affected by water shortages.

However, the city consumes more water than other states.

Each Mexico City resident consumes an average of 300 liters of water per day, according to the head of Mexico City's water system Ramón Aguirre. The goal is to reduce that figure to 120 liters of water per day, per person, Aguirre said.

One way of reducing water consumption might be through higher water fees based on socio-economic levels.

In low- and medium-income neighborhoods, 1,000 liters of water currently cost two pesos ($0.17); in neighboring Naucalpan in the State of Mexico, 1,000 liters of water costs 10.2 pesos ($0.85). In high-income capital neighborhoods, water costs 9 pesos ($0.75) per 1,000 liters, while in affluent State of Mexico suburbs that same amount of water costs 15.1 pesos ($1.26).

The city has taken other measures as well. In many Metro stations, the government sells discounted water-saving shower-heads.

National Campaigns

On Tuesday, the country's water commission (Conagua) launched a campaign to promote smart water consumption by giving out kits containing a toothbrush, toothpaste and a 200-milliliter cup. The idea is to encourage people to use the cup while brushing their teeth, since an average of 10 liters of water are wasted when the faucet is left running.

Conagua is also promoting another national campaign to urge people to turn off the faucet while soaping up their hands, and to place a bucket in the shower to catch water to use for toilet flushing.

World Water Day began in 1993, after an initiative from the 1992 U.N. Conference on Environment and Development. The day is meant to raise attention to the importance of freshwater and advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources, according to the initiative's website.

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