If you are planning to travel to Mexico, the chances are that someone will advise you not to drink tap water locally. But you will tell yourself that after all, with all these advancements, Mexico must have made efforts to modernize the drinking water systems. But what’s the truth? Is Mexican tap water really that bad? In this article, we will look at where tap water comes from in Mexico’s major cities, whether it is safe to drink, and what you can do to be safe if you live or travel in Mexico.

Where does tap water come from in Mexico?

In 2006, 63% of Mexico’s water was extracted from surface waters, such as rivers or lakes. The remaining 37% comes from aquifers. In urban areas, it is estimated that 97 percent of the population has access to an improved water supply. In southern Mexico, aquifer water is a particular challenge because the limestone is very porous and does not offer much filtering. Rainwater can, therefore, be contaminated by anything on the ground.

Where does the tap water in Mexico City come from?

The total population of Mexico City is approximately 22 million people, all of whom need safe access to water. The water supply of the Mexico City metropolitan area is currently estimated at 82 m³/s. The main water sources (and their approximate contributions to the total water supply) are:

1-The abstraction of groundwater (73%)

2-Cutzamala System (18%)

3-Lerma system (6%)

4-Rivers and springs (3%)

The Cutzamala system is one of the largest water supply systems in the world, both in terms of the total amount of water supplied (approximately 485 million cubic meters/year) and in terms of the 1100 meters (3600 foot) altitude difference that must be overcome. The pumping required to raise the water 1,100 meters from the lowest storage point to the highest point in the system (where gravity flow takes over) consumes a significant amount of energy, variably estimated at between 1.3 and 1.8 terawatt-hours a year, equivalent to about 0.6% of Mexico’s total energy consumption, and representing a cost of about 65 million dollars/yr. This amount of electricity would be approximately equivalent to the annual energy consumption of the metropolitan area of Puebla (2.7 million inhabitants).

What do Mexicans say about tap water?

Most Mexicans, if they can afford it, they drink only bottled water, while others boil water for drinking and cooking.

In the south, with its older systems and huge population, especially in Mexico City, water does not flow all day. People then use cisterns or tanks installed on the roof to make up for this period when the tap water is turned off. The problem is that the tank is often open, which means that it gets dirty and needs to be cleaned regularly. Not many people do that. In Mexico streets, the tap water is only potable and good to drink after it has been boiled, said one person we interviewed. But there are also people who have always used tap water and never got sick. Especially in the north of Mexico. We would like to make the statement that in Mexico the water is potable and drinkable, but it doesn’t taste very good because of the high level of chlorine water treatment plants put in it. So to eliminate the awful taste use carbon filter and the water will taste very good. This water is far cheaper than any bottled water you can buy”.

How is the water treatment in Mexico?

Most major cities have water treatment plants that meet international standards (WHO, EU, and EPA). This means that the water that leaves the treatment plant to be conveyed into the piped distribution network is generally potable in most of Mexico. The problem, however, is the potential contamination on the way to the tap and especially the pipes and water tanks of old buildings.

Is tap water drinkable in Mexico?

First of all, the answer depends on where you are in Mexico. Then it depends on how much risk you’re willing to take. As long as the water comes from a closed system and smells like chlorine, as is the case with most tap water in the United States, you probably won’t get sick in the short term.

Mexico City

The health secretary of Mexico City said 95 percent of the capital’s drinking water treated and it is clean, according to the chlorination analysis the perform on the water at the city various treatment plants. But experts note that while Mexico City’s water comes out of the plant in drinkable form, it travels through old underground pipes and dirty rooftop tanks to the consumer. The city’s underground pipelines, half of which are at least 60 years old, are failing at an alarming rate. One official estimate is that it would take at least 50 years and hundreds of millions of dollars to replace all the old broken pipes. In many ways, sending trucks all over the sprawling capital is a more efficient system than the city’s pipes, which are so prone to ruptures and leaks that nearly 40 percent of the drinking water flowing through them is simply wasted, according to a 2010 government study.  In 2014, a new law changed things in Mexico City, as it obliges restaurants to install filters to provide customers with safe drinking water. Approximately 65,000 restaurants have been mandated to install filters in 2015. Unfortunately, neither Mexicans nor tourists seem to believe that the tap water provided is safe to drink. Even if the majority of people in Mexico says the tap water is not safe, if you travel to major Mexican city, you will find people who say they had been drinking tap water for decades and never got sick. It is not known whether this is because the tap water is clean or because they’ve developed resistance to potential contaminants, including bacteria.

The best drinking water from the tap in other parts of Mexico

According to recent research, the best tap water comes from:

The city of León came first, followed by Saltillo, Monterrey, Mexicali, Aguascalientes, Cancún, and Tijuana. of the first six, three (Saltillo, Aguascalientes, and Cancún) are managed by private operators, while León, Mexicali, and Tijuana are public water systems. In these cities, tap water is usually safe to drink all over the city.

The worst tap water in Mexico

Among the lowest-ranked cities, some are in the state of Mexico City, as well as others in the south and southeast of the country. Here, unfiltered tap water should absolutely be avoided.

CONCLUSION

If you live in Mexico in a building without a water tank with public tap water that tastes/smells like chlorine, then the tap water is most likely safe to drink. For more information on water quality, check the website of your local water supplier or test your water with portable kits or send your water to a local lab if you want to know more. Avoid bottled water if you can on a regular base. Plastic bottles are bad for the environment and are not necessarily healthier or safer than tap water.