SIAPA pledged 290 million pesos this week to ensure permanent access to water in every neighborhood (colonia) of Zapopan, Tlaquepaque and Tonala by April 2013. The city’s water crisis is so great that in the latter municipality alone there are currently over 100,000 people in 29 neighborhoods with no water supply.
Tonala will receive 150 million pesos to resolve the water shortage, while another 140 million will be used to bring water to 19 neighborhoods in Zapopan and four in Tlaquepaque. The entire municipality of Guadalajara already has access to running water.
The new metro-area mayors met on Wednesday to elect Guadalajara’s former interim Mayor Francisco Ayon as head of SIAPA’s board of directors.
SIAPA is owed money by every metropolitan municipality except for Tlaquepaque, plus several state government agencies, but Ayon assured that the shortage of funds will not affect the plans to expand water coverage.