The suspension of the Guadalajara metro-area water supply to homes in 250 neighborhoods last weekend was not due to chronic shortages as initially reported, but a result of “electrical issues” at the pumping station that sends millions of gallons of H2O from Lake Chapala to the thirsty metropolis, according to the Jalisco state government and SIAPA, the metro-area water utility.
No prior warning was given to thousands of Guadalajara householders affected by the suspension.
Statements from SIAPA and Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro explained that four transformers at the pumping station had been “knocked out” due to the recent “instability” in the nation’s electricity supply, which led to a series of power outages across a large swath of the country.
The federal government said these blackouts were caused by a sudden surge in demand for electricity during the heat wave (the excessive use of air-conditioning and ventilators perhaps?). However, only a few municipalities in Jalisco reported outages, and none where the pumping station is located.
By Wednesday of this week, Alfaro said the water supply had been restored to nearly all the affected neighborhoods.
Not everyone is happy with the official explanation though.
Mara Robles, president of the Special Water Commission in the Jalisco legislature, is demanding that SIAPA director Carlos Enrique Torres Lugo appear before Congress to give a detailed explanation of what occurred. She accused the state government of “taking advantage of the blackouts to hide a more serious problem,” noting that the possibility of water shortages in the state capital was under discussion well before the supposed electrical issues surfaced.
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