Authorities are seeking new sources of water due to a growing deficit in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara.
The arrival of hot weather causes a sharp rise in the amount of water used by citizens and historically April is the month with the highest average consumption.
To counter this problem, the Intercity System of Drinking Water and Sewerage (Siapa) has hired a dredger to reopen the flow of water into the Atequiza Canal, 16 kilometers north of Lake Chapala. This will feed the aqueduct water supply that existed between Chapala and Guadalajara from 1956 to 1985.
Guadalajara’s demand for water has increased dramatically, and the channel could drive more than 2000 liters per second. Returning to this system is not without controversy however, as filtering the polluted channel is expensive.
The loudest calls for a second aqueduct between Chapala and Guadalajara have come from the suburb of Tlajomulco de Zuñiga. The town has grown rapidly in recent years, fueling a water crisis and Tlajomulco Mayor Alberto Uribe Camacho is adamant a second aqueduct is needed.
“In some areas the situation is critical, as it is in the area on the highway to Chapala,” the official said. “Some gated communities only have water at some times of the day. We have been looking for a solution to the water problem for 20 years.”
Critics argue that the removal of more water from Lake Chapala could lead to serious environmental problems in the area. Activist organizations in the Chapala area have argued for years that a second aqueduct is not needed. Instead, they propose that renovation work is carried out on the antiquated and leaky water network that currently supplies the metro area with the majority of its water.