Water shortages in many zones of the Guadalajara metropolitan area are being put down to increased demand due to the excessively high temperatures, in addition to problems affecting supply via the old Atequiza canal that pumps thousands of gallons of H20 from Lake Chapala to the city every day.
According to the metro area’s SIAPA water utility, at least 60 colonias in the city are being affected by the shortages, including populous zones such as La Calma, Oblatos and Miravalle.
On Thursday, SIAPA said the issues with the antiquated canal will be fixed within a week. Meanwhile, consumers can call 3668-2482 to order pipas (water delivery trucks) to replenish their supplies, the utility said.
Some experts say the water shortage problem is more profound than SIAPA’s current diagnosis. Talking on World Water Day (March 22), José Antonio Gómez Reyna of the Universidad de Guadalajara highlighted the destruction of water tables and bad urban planning as significant factors affecting the water shortage in the metropolitan area.
According to Gómez Reyna, the five million inhabitants of Guadalajara require delivery of between 14 and 15 cubic meters of water per second, when the current quantity is between 9.5 and 10.5 meters per second.