The Cutzamala System is at 39.8 percent of its capacity, the lowest record in the last 28 years.
In 147 days, the dams of the Cutzamala System on which the Valley of Mexico depends will reach the “Zero Day” with a critical availability for the inhabitants of one of the most populated areas of the country.
It is not new news that the municipalities of Mexico City and the con-urbated municipalities of the State of Mexico are experiencing a water crisis; since for several months the only way to access this vital liquid is through pipes that week after week raise the price to supply the millions of affected families.
The answer to this problem was given by Citlalli Peraza, director of the Basin Organization of Waters of the Valley of Mexico, who as of January 29, the Cutzamala System was at 39.8 percent of its capacity, the lowest record in the 28 years it has been in operation.
According to the official, there is a deficit, that is, a backlog in the flow, of 37 percent, with a storage of 311 million cubic meters, 289.3 below the historical record.
This translates into a major water crisis for the coming months, as it is expected that by June 2024 the Cutzamala will no longer be able to meet the needs of Mexico City and the State of Mexico, according to estimates from the National Water Commission (Conagua).
Why the Cutzamala flow does not rise
According to specialists and Conagua itself, the scarcity of rains from the past season and the intense drought that plagues the region of the Cutzamala River basin, located between Michoacán and the State of Mexico, are the main factor that prevents the dam from increasing its level.
For its part, the estimates of the Basin Organization Waters of the Valley of Mexico (OCAVM), presented last November, had continued with extractions of 12 cubic meters per second, that volume would have only reached to cover the demand for four and a half months, that is, the water would run out on April 20, so a cut in the supply sent to the Valley of Mexico of 3 cubic meters was implemented.
So, with an expense of 9 cubic meters per second, Conagua estimated that it will be next June 26, when the Cutzamala System touches its lowest level, barely clearing the minimum level of operation, with the hope that the next rainy season, can recover the storage of the dams.
In recent weeks, the water supply sent to the Valley of Mexico has continued to decrease. From January 22 to 28, the flow supplied was 7.93 cubic meters per second.
Source: Tele Diario
