Mexico City Is Nearly Out of Water

One of the world's largest, most densely populated cities is on the verge of having no or very limited water for its 22 million residents. As UPI reports, this crisis has sparked protests in Mexico City, where water levels in its aquifer have reached their lowest point on record. "Several neighborhoods have suffered from a lack of water for weeks, and there are still four months left for the rains to start," says atmospheric scientist Christian Domínguez Sarmiento.

• There is some debate over when the city will reach "day zero," which Live Science says is when "freely-available water services" will no longer function across the city. One official says it could come as soon as June 26 unless the city sees significant rain, according to CNN. Meanwhile, others deny a "day zero" is imminent.

• While the city has grappled with water shortages for years, a few problems are exacerbating the crisis, including a lengthy drought and extreme heat.
• A nearly depleted underground aquifer provides about 60% of water to Mexico City, and the rest is pumped in from outside. Much of the pumped water is lost to leaks, which are getting worse. One of the largest systems was pumping only 39.7% of its capacity at the end of January, down from 54% from the year prior.
• "We're extracting water at twice the speed that the aquifer replenishes," says Jorge Alberto Arriaga of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Draining the aquifer is causing the city to sink at an astounding rate—20 inches per year since 1950.
• Some politicians have been downplaying the issue, including Mexico City Mayor Martí Batres Guadarrama, who claims it's "fake news" being spread by political rivals. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has assured residents that the government is working toward solutions.
• Fabiola Sosa-Rodríguez, head of economic growth and environment at the Metropolitan Autonomous University, tells CNN that she's warned authorities about the problem for years. The solutions she recommends include fixing wasteful leaks, restoring rivers and wetlands, and improving wastewater treatment. "There is a clear unequal access to water in the city and this is related to people's income," Sosa-Rodríguez said. Water restrictions have been put in place for years, and happen more frequently in poorer neighborhoods, she notes.
• Water was not always an issue in the region. During the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan was built on an island surrounded by lakes and swampland circa 1325. Canals and bridges connected the city until the Spaniards settled there in the 1500s and drained the lakebeds below to dry out the land.(California has OKed drinking recycled wastewater.)