Problems With Water For Loreto?????
A Water Meeting was held June 5, 2006 for all who wanted to attend at the La Pinta Hotel. Sergio Morales and Hugo Quintero were the two speakers.
Loreto has a population of 16,200 inhabitants, but SAPA is pumping enough water out of the two wells for 50,000 people. The problem is the poor
condition of the infrastructure, and the waste of water (leaks, leaving hoses on for days, watering streets, etc). Wells (11 in all) will not be
activated until the pipes are repaired and in good order.
The more water that is used out of the wells, the more there is a danger of salinity infiltrating into the reservoir.
Nopolo, Ligui, and Puerto Escondido have their own wells, but it was made clear that, if those areas are exploited, the water will not be sufficient.
NOPOLO HAS NO RIGHT TO SAN JUAN WATER! The water is strictly for Loreto. When necessary, Loreto will allow to pump some water to Nopolo, but the City
Fathers can also refuse water. (See a previous article in the Gringo Gazzette, in the Loreto section).
At the rate that the water is pumped out, we can count on 10 more years.
The San Bruno project is approved, but they have to provide water through their own desalinization plant. Interesting enough, the Municipal and SAPA
are working with them to build a bigger plant so that the surplus water can be sold to Loreto.
Another problem that SAPA encountered, is collecting the money for the water contracts. They have installed "reductors" for the individuals that are
delinquent in paying, but these devices are easily broken into. Now they have acquired 300 new ones, "theft proof". SAPA also addressed the Loretano
custom of watering the street, but, because everybody seems to be a relative, they have no luck in giving out fines. SAPA did collect $15,000,000
(pesos) from delinquent contracts, but the government took a big chunk of it....what is left will go to repairing the lines.
SAPA has or will have a promotion through their office: You can buy "pilas" (water tanks) from them, at a discount, and they will be charged on your
water bill, a little at the time. This is for the individuals that do not have a reservoir, for they are predicting days without water, all
throughout the summer!!!
SAPA will also install meters (poco a poco) in all properties, starting with the high consumption places (hotels, car washing etc.); also, count on
the price of water going up.
Desalinization was discussed but left without a solution. |
I won't say it......
, if ya ain't got water gimme seltzer!