World Bank agrees $114m loan for Valley of Mexico water projects
The World Bank will provide $114 million in financing for two water projects in the Valley of Mexico.
A project to replenish the depleted water resources of the Valley of México aquifer will receive $54 million, while another to modernize the infrastructure of the Cutzamala system will get $60 million.
The Valley of Mexico aquifer is deteriorating due to the high demand for water in the Mexico City metropolitan area, says the government. The aquifer supplies water to a permanent population of almost nine million people as well as a floating population estimated at about five million.
The government proposed the use of treated wastewater to refill the aquifer via existing infrastructure such as the Cerro de la Estrella treatment plant, located in the Mexico City borough of Iztapalapa.
The second project will seek to improve the energy efficiency and resilience of the massive Cutzamala water system as well as strengthen its information, monitoring and control systems. It also intends to improve the safety and reliability of the system and make changes that will prepare it to confront challenges posed by climate change.
