A Perfect Storm Threatens Mexico City's Water Supply
Mexico City faces a water crisis due to environmental neglect and population growth. Water systems are failing, and historic droughts threaten “Day Zero” with empty taps. Experts urge a shift from viewing water as a resource to respecting the natural water cycle.
Mexico City, a sprawling metropolis perched high in the Valley of Mexico, has always had a complex relationship with water. It's a city built on a “gigantic sponge,” as architect Valente Souza colorfully describes it – a valley that soaks up water like a thirsty towel. But just like any sponge, push it too far, and it will eventually stop absorbing.
In 1922, that's precisely what happened. A confluence of human error and a brutal drought squeezed the sponge dry. The city's water distribution system, a marvel of modern engineering at the time, sputtered and died. The electric motors powering the pumps at the Condesa plant succumbed to a watery nemesis – moisture itself. The city's reserve dwindled to a mere trickle, barely enough to keep the taps flowing for a few precious hours a day.
