BajaNomad

Regulated water

thebeckster - 3-27-2017 at 09:05 PM

Does the Mexican government charge for regulated water? If they do, what is the rate?

thebeckster - 3-28-2017 at 09:04 PM

Soooo, I take it the government doesn't charge for water? I'm not hearing anything that says they do....com'on you guys, somebody out there has a well concession from the government and deals with charges of some kind. Are you able to sell that water to others? Are you regulated?

David K - 3-29-2017 at 12:34 AM

Details in your opening post might help so we know what it is you are asking. Water from what or where. Government regulations or pressure regulators (to provide 'regulated' water).

Your second post is more revealing in that you want to know about well permits and charges (I guess)?

The water trucks that fill pilas above people's houses can get their water from a well.

[Edited on 3-29-2017 by David K]

wilderone - 3-29-2017 at 07:35 AM

Water for residents varies on the municipality. You ask a broad question. In Loreto for instance, the water rate is higher for residents who live in the beach zone - about 4 blocks from the coastline - than others. In small communities in Yucatan, the Mexican government has provided each casita with a standardized pila. Some towns have water delivery to refill household pilas - not sure if it's a private enterprise or subsidized by the government. There are water purification stores where people off the grid can buy water. The spring near Santa Inez has a govt.-built solar powered water distribution system to enable ranchers to quickly fill their 200-gal. containers on the back of their truck at no charge. At Mision San Fernando, there is a stream with hoses where people come and hook up to it, and pump water with generators. Your inquiry needs to be more specific vis a vis, particular locale. Would be interesting to hear from Nomads who live in Baja to report specifics on this issue.

cliffh - 3-29-2017 at 01:08 PM

Most water in Mex. is owned by the federal Gov, it takes a federal permit to drill your own well. Most households have meters and are charged by the cubic meter, prices are diff. in diff cities.

monoloco - 3-29-2017 at 06:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by cliffh  
Most water in Mex. is owned by the federal Gov, it takes a federal permit to drill your own well. Most households have meters and are charged by the cubic meter, prices are diff. in diff cities.
All of the water in Mexico is owned by the federal government, and is regulated by them. Even if you have your own well, most are required to have meters and they regulate how much can be extracted.

thebeckster - 3-30-2017 at 09:09 PM

So you have a well permit to a government owned well and they put a meter on it and you are allowed so much water according to what they say you can have. If you and your well are outside a city, are you allowed to sell your water to others? I am talking about the La Paz and Todo Santos areas. I have seen some drilling rigs around. Can you get a permit to drill your own or do you have to buy a concession to a well?

mtgoat666 - 3-30-2017 at 09:24 PM

Quote: Originally posted by thebeckster  
So you have a well permit to a government owned well and they put a meter on it and you are allowed so much water according to what they say you can have. If you and your well are outside a city, are you allowed to sell your water to others? I am talking about the La Paz and Todo Santos areas. I have seen some drilling rigs around. Can you get a permit to drill your own or do you have to buy a concession to a well?


If you want current info specific to a certain location, then hire an engineer/consultant - or talk to a driller. If you are just kicking the tires, you can probably get initial questions answered for free with a telephone inquiry.

monoloco - 3-31-2017 at 02:31 PM

Quote: Originally posted by thebeckster  
So you have a well permit to a government owned well and they put a meter on it and you are allowed so much water according to what they say you can have. If you and your well are outside a city, are you allowed to sell your water to others? I am talking about the La Paz and Todo Santos areas. I have seen some drilling rigs around. Can you get a permit to drill your own or do you have to buy a concession to a well?
People do get well permits here, two of my neighbors in Pescadero have recently put in permitted wells, one was for a development and one was for a 2000 meter lot. Basically, you own the well and pay to install and maintain it and the government owns and regulates the water pumped from it. The government now requires meters on most wells and regulates how much you are allowed to pump. You may not legally "sell" water, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I don't know all the rules, but I believe that if you are getting water from an existing permitted well that is not on your property, or sharing your well water with neighbors, there is some kind of mechanism for sharing in the expense of delivering it. There are many people around here that have informal agreements with the local farmers who supply them with water from their agricultural water rights, but I doubt that it's 100% legal, but it is overlooked when there is no access to agua potable. I'm guessing that it would probably be one of the things that they crack down on in the case of a drought or dwindling supplies.

[Edited on 3-31-2017 by monoloco]

monoloco - 3-31-2017 at 02:37 PM

Quote: Originally posted by monoloco  
Quote: Originally posted by thebeckster  
So you have a well permit to a government owned well and they put a meter on it and you are allowed so much water according to what they say you can have. If you and your well are outside a city, are you allowed to sell your water to others? I am talking about the La Paz and Todo Santos areas. I have seen some drilling rigs around. Can you get a permit to drill your own or do you have to buy a concession to a well?
People do get well permits here, two of my neighbors in Pescadero have recently put in permitted wells, one was for a development and one was for a 2000 meter lot. Basically, you own the well and pay to install and maintain it and the government owns and regulates the water pumped from it. The government now requires meters on most wells and regulates how much you are allowed to pump. You may not legally "sell" water, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I don't know all the rules, but I believe that if you are getting water from an existing permitted well that is not on your property, or sharing your well water with neighbors, there is some kind of mechanism for sharing in the expense of delivering it. There are many people around here that have informal agreements with the local farmers who supply them with water from their agricultural water rights, but I doubt that it's 100% legal, but it is overlooked when there is no access to agua potable. I'm guessing that it would probably be one of the things that they crack down on in the case of a drought or dwindling supplies.

[Edited on 3-31-2017 by monoloco]
The best system I've seen here is a direct solar pump that requires no batteries and pumps constantly into a cistern whenever the sun is on the panels.

thebeckster - 3-31-2017 at 09:13 PM

Thank you monoloco! That is a great bit of information. I suspected that it is illegal to sell water from your well to others. I have heard some real dandy spiels from people selling property with water to it. Guess I will be contacting an attorney before I buy! Thanks again!

David K - 4-1-2017 at 10:53 AM

If you buy or lease land that does not have water, what are your options?

1) Pay for water and its delivery service to fill your pila.
2) Pay the cost of running pipes to your property from a well and the cost of water.
3) Pay to drill a well on your property and what the government taxes on your water.

Are you thinking water should be free? Catch rain water maybe? Desalinization, if you are near the ocean and waves don't destroy the pipe? It all costs money whatever you do.

pacsur - 4-1-2017 at 01:54 PM

I have also been told after buying the well permit you must not only pay for the cubic meters used, but what the well amount is approved for, but if you do not use your full allotment they will charge you the difference of what your well was approved for.
Others I know bought the well permits before building their homes and just paid the approved cubic meters without using any water, if not the permit would be withdrawn.

David K - 4-1-2017 at 03:41 PM

Maybe just pump water back to the ground... recycle and satisfy government lunacy at the same time!A windmill means no electric costs.

monoloco - 4-1-2017 at 05:14 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
If you buy or lease land that does not have water, what are your options?

1) Pay for water and its delivery service to fill your pila.
2) Pay the cost of running pipes to your property from a well and the cost of water.
3) Pay to drill a well on your property and what the government taxes on your water.

Are you thinking water should be free? Catch rain water maybe? Desalinization, if you are near the ocean and waves don't destroy the pipe? It all costs money whatever you do.
There is no government tax on water. They just regulate how much you can extract.

monoloco - 4-1-2017 at 05:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pacsur  
I have also been told after buying the well permit you must not only pay for the cubic meters used, but what the well amount is approved for, but if you do not use your full allotment they will charge you the difference of what your well was approved for.
Others I know bought the well permits before building their homes and just paid the approved cubic meters without using any water, if not the permit would be withdrawn.
If you aren't using your allotment, they just reduce it and give it to someone else.

thebeckster - 4-1-2017 at 09:02 PM

Didn't expect the water to be free, but some people think they have you by the little hairs and charge hugh monthly charges even when you are not using water (i.e. in the US for the summer). What about salt water well permits and desalination system for personal use? Anyone have any thoughts on that being a way to go?