Monterey, NL. The two main tributaries that supply water to the Metropolitan Area of Nuevo Leon is it so about to dry. To La Boca dam has only a 10-day supply left and the Cerro Prieto Dam a supply of 27 days, said Juan Ignacio Barragán Villarreal, director of Water and Drainage Services of Monterrey.
“The consequences of this (water) crisis for Monterrey and the metropolitan area are important from an economic point of view, since water rationing will directly affect homes, businesses and industry, which is estimated to consume between 7 and 9% of the total,” Jorge O. Moreno, research professor at the Faculty of Economics of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL), told El Economista.
The third most important dam in the state is The knifewhich had an average of 72.5% filling in the last five years, however, this year it dropped to 53.3%, that is, -19.3% less, according to data from the National Water Commission (With water). The storage of this reservoir is mainly for agricultural use.
Specialists estimate that the ZMM consumes 15,000 liters per second (lps), but there is a deficit of -4,000 lps due to the two dams that are running out of water.
Currently, it has been possible to add 12,200 liters per second (lps) of drinking water with 35% of the water coming from the dam The knife, 31% from the Buenos Aires, Mina, Huasteca and Metropolitan Area Wells System and 9% from tunnels, springs and filter galleries. With the incorporation of 115 new shallow and deep wells, 3,034 liters per second will be incorporated, plus 595 lps of water recovered due to leaks.
“Faced with this situation, an increase in water rates was announced a few days ago, I think that this increase is too late for what is needed: a dynamic rate is required, which allows reflecting the conditions of water supply, the conditions of storage of the dams, and the little investment that has been made in this area”, stressed the researcher.
Investment
The director of Water and Drainage Services commented that urgent investments must be made for the sewage treatment: To comply with NOM-001-SEMARNAT for treatment plants, 1,300 million pesos are required.
For the adaptation of the Dulces Nombres treatment plant, the estimated parametric investment is 1,600 million pesos and with respect to new tertiary treatment plants, the estimated investment is 1,800 million pesos.
“It is said that there are underground water wells, which would allow the situation to be solved in the short term, however, the investment to be able to use the subsoil water was not made, and doing so at this time is on the fly, without plans, and without a clear strategy”, stated the researcher.
He stressed that the incoming governor inherited the problem, and that just like the water crisis, transportation and road problems must be resolved; “The state is lagging behind in its long-term needs, while a community that continues to grow, develop and shows fragility in the face of the supply of vital liquid is being solved,” he asserted.
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