Daniel González Delgadillo
La Jornada newspaper
Monday, September 8, 2025, p. 11
The Cutzamala system could reach a maximum filling of 81.7 to 85 percent –equivalentes to 640 and 665 million cubic meters, respectively – when this year’s rainfall ends, which is scheduled for the end of November, said the Basin Agency Aguas del Valle de México (OCAVM).
Its director, Citlalli Peraza Camacho, said in an interview that the prognosis was made by the National Water Commission (Conagua) based on the models made by the National Meteorological Service on the rainy season, which could be intensified this month.
Until last 5, the system reported 75.53 percent of its filling, equivalent to 591 million cubic meters of water, its highest level in the last six years, the specialist explained. He stressed that the recovery of the reservoir has been rapid with this rainy season because until the last 1st day it was 73.4 percent, corresponding to 574 million cubic meters.
“We carry the quantification, we modify it day by day. As you can see, from Tuesday to Friday of last week they have been several million more cubic meters of water” for the benefit of more than 5 million inhabitants of the capital and the State of Mexico, said Peraza Camacho.
Based on historical reports, he said, the highest storage that was obtained in recent years to the September 5 cut was in 2015, with 92.2 percent, equivalent to 721 million cubic meters of water. Its highest level was 100 percent in 2003, accumulating 782 million cubic meters.
Reality blow
“While the Cutzamala is recovering this 2025, which brought this prolonged situation of three years of drought was a coup of reality that forced to make rational use of water to the citizenship, the operating agencies and the authorities of the capital and the State of Mexico, in order to eliminate the misuse of water,” said the official.
The system consists of seven main dams: Tuxpan and El Bosque, in Michoacán, as well as Colorines, Ixtapan del Oro, Valle de Bravo, Villa Victoria and Chilesdo in the State of Mexico. It also has six pumping plants, a water treatment plant and a tunnel system, channels, siphons with a double aqueduct.
The director of the OCAVM pointed out that the Valle de Bravo dam, the largest in the entire system, currently has its greatest storage of the last nine years due to rainfall and its good water management.
The punctual functioning of the Cutzamala is due to their maintenance, which are scheduled to be carried out every six months, and annually to its main pieces, he clarified.
He stressed that this year Conagua allocated 660 million pesos for the renewal of equipment such as spherical valves, rotors, pumps and engines, among others.
He added that the optimal system of the system is also due to the removal of garbage and waste: until August 25, 41 thousand 397 tons and 408 thousand 500 cubic meters of Azolve were extracted. Given this, he called on the population not to throw waste in the street, because between eight and nine out of 10 floods are caused by this cause.
