President Claudia Sheinbaum handed over water concession titles to municipalities in Baja California for the first time. This move, described as historic by the federal government, aims to guarantee water supply for decades to come. From the National Palace, on World Water Day, the head of state announced that the municipalities of Tijuana, Rosarito, Mexicali, Tecate, and Ensenada will no longer pay third parties for access to water, following changes driven by the new National Water Law. According to the federal government, this measure will ensure the resource's supply for the next 30 years and eliminate practices that favored the commercialization of water as a private business.
End to Privileges and the Water Market Sheinbaum emphasized that one of the main goals of the reform is to end privileges in water distribution, noting that municipalities previously had to pay irrigation districts that no longer had significant agricultural activity. In this regard, authorities from the National Water Commission (Conagua) indicated that the new legislation also seeks to eliminate the transfer of water rights between individuals, combat illegal use, and curb resource hoarding. Furthermore, it was highlighted that these actions are part of a broader strategy to strengthen water justice, including the recognition of community systems in ejidos and indigenous towns.
What does this mean for the municipalities? With the delivery of these titles, the beneficiary municipalities will have greater control over water use and certainty in their supply, which also aims to avoid additional costs from intermediaries. Federal authorities stated that in recent years, these cities had allocated significant resources to acquire water through previous schemes, a situation that will now change with the new regulation. Meanwhile, the federal government announced it will continue to implement the new Water Law and called on companies to regularize their situation with Conagua.
