Higher water fees frustrate Mexico City residents

City officials offer 70 percent discounts to residents whose water bills have risen sixfold

By Bronson Pettitt

Mexico Weekly / March 29, 2011

Thousands of Mexico City residents have recently received water bills that are six times higher than usual.

Last week, residents started receiving their first water bills of 2011 (for January and February) that include new rates. City officials decided last year to increase water rates to encourage residents in high-consumption areas to install water meters.

In addition, water usage for those residents without a water meter will now be estimated using an average of consumption in nearby areas. Rates will then be calculated based on what the water is used for (residential or non-residential), how much is used and the area's socio-economic status (marginalized, low-, middle- or high-income.)

Bills for January and February in several central neighborhoods were reportedly as high as 1,369 pesos ($114), a drastic increase from the approximately 250 pesos ($21) typically charged before the fee hikes.

The unusually high water bills have prompted thousands of residents to seek a reduction at the city's water system main offices. Water system officials have had to extend business hours to deal with people's demands.

“I've spent five hours inside the [city's water system offices] and I'm still waiting. There are 115 people before me in line!” wrote Adita De Aguirre, a Del Valle neighborhood resident, on her Twitter account Monday.

To quell residents' frustration, city officials announced Friday they would offer immediate discounts on lofty bills. The head of the city's water system, Fernando Núñez, said in various radio interviews Tuesday that people without water meters who were charged the fixed-rate fee of 1,369 pesos would only have to pay 410 pesos ($34), and would be able to pay off their bill over a six-month period.

In addition, he said residents can now buy water meters at a discounted price of 1,800 pesos ($150).

Water Meter Installation Surges

Of the 20,000 people who on Monday visited the city's water system offices or who called the offices' customer service hotline, about 900 of them requested that water meters be installed in their homes, Reforma reported Tuesday.

“It might seem like a small number, but if we consider that in all of last year 5,000 meters were purchased, that's an historic number for one day,” Núñez said, according to Reforma.

“Having a [water] meter is extremely important, and it keeps people from paying too little or too much,” Núñez said Tuesday on a radio interview.

For its part, city government officials are working on a list of people and areas affected by the water rate hike.

On Tuesday, Reforma published a poll on its front page asking readers if they would favor an increase in water fees if the quality of the service was improved. Fifty-seven percent said “yes” and 40 percent said “no”.

The water fee fiasco comes as Mexico City enters its dry, hot season, when many parts of the city suffer from water shortages due to a lack of rain.

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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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Ebrard plans to decentralize Mexico City's local water system

Mayor's proposal is a long-term program to solve problems that are becoming more and more severe, says head of the city's water system

Mexico Weekly / March 3, 2011

Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard has sent to local lawmakers a proposal to decentralize the local water system and make way for private involvement.

The proposal, submitted to the Legislative Assembly (ALDF) on Feb. 22, says the new and renovated local water system (SACM) will be able to “provide water in blocks to people or companies, public and private, for their own consumption or for their sales, with a previously signed contract,” Reforma reported Thursday.

Currently, the SACM is an autonomous entity of the Mexico City government (GDF) bound to tax and administrative regulations set by the Finance Secretariat.

Ebrard's proposal would eliminate the ALDF's ability to set water rates, designating this task to a council made up of six GDF officials and four representatives from private-sector unions and professionals.

Although the proposal details the responsibilities and features of the new decentralized agency, it does not specify the roles that private companies or individuals will take.

The proposal also neglects to mention if water subsidies will continue.

The current head of the city's water system Ramón Aguirre told Reforma the proposal's intention is not to create a private company, but rather to strengthen a public agency that operates as a non-profit company to benefit society.

“It's not about privatization. Private companies will not take over, but we must – along with a government council with most participants from society – (create) a long-term program to solve problems that are becoming more and more severe,” Aguirre said.

Severe Water Supply Problems

For the next 10 years, Mexico City needs $8.75 billion in investments to update and repair the capital's water supply and drainage system.

Mexico City has one of the lowest water costs in the country, even though much of the liquid is piped in from the neighboring State of Mexico and Hidalgo.

In low- and medium-income neighborhoods, 1,000 liters of water cost 2 pesos ($0.17); in the neighboring Naucalpan (State of Mexico), water costs 10.2 pesos ($0.85) per 1,000 liters, and 15.1 pesos ($1.26) in the affluent Huixquilucan suburb.

However, a third of residential areas in Mexico City have severe water supply problems.

Official figures show 350 neighborhoods of the capital's 1,815 are affected by water cuts.

On Wednesday, former Assemblyman Daniel Salazar said the GDF must take more measures to improve water supply and quality besides adjusting fees based on socio-economic levels, Publimetro reports.

“It's irrational that we combine rainwater with wastewater and it is all discarded through the drainage system,” Salazar said.

Rather, the city should capture rainwater and filter it into aquifers, and treat greater volumes of wastewater (only 14.4 percent of capital wastewater is treated) to be used to water green areas and other non-consumption purposes.

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