State legislator Gabriela Montoya Terrazas has introduced a reform to Baja California Sur’s Water Law that would prohibit utilities from completely shutting off household water service over unpaid bills. Under the proposal, water operators would be required to maintain a minimum supply for human consumption regardless of a customer’s outstanding debt.
The bill, introduced in the BCS state legislature, aims to bring state law into alignment with Mexico’s new federal General Water Law promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum. That federal law recognizes access to water as a human right and sets baseline protections for residential users nationwide.
What the Reform Would Change
If passed, the reform would create a legal floor guaranteeing at least minimal potable water access during billing disputes or periods of delinquency. Current state law does not explicitly prevent a full shutoff. The proposal does not eliminate consequences for nonpayment but draws a line at total disconnection from water service.
The initiative also includes several other provisions. It seeks legal recognition for community-run water systems in areas without formal utility coverage, a common arrangement in more rural and remote parts of the state. It adds rainwater harvesting provisions for domestic use and calls for stronger citizen participation in water management decisions.
Water Scarcity Context in BCS
Baja California Sur is one of Mexico’s driest states, and its population is growing faster than almost anywhere else in the country. Water scarcity is classified as medium risk by international assessments, with up to a 20% chance of drought in any given decade. Los Cabos and La Paz both experience periodic rationing and service gaps, even for customers whose accounts are current.
Conservation groups like Niparajá and the Baja Coastal Institute have long warned that overuse, overgrazing in the Sierra de la Laguna, and rapid tourism development are depleting aquifers faster than they recharge. Rainwater harvesting, one element of Montoya Terrazas’s proposal, has been advocated by water experts in the region for years as a partial solution.
What Happens Next
The bill has been formally introduced but has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the BCS legislature. Residents who depend on municipal water service in La Paz, Los Cabos, Comondú, Loreto, and Mulegé would all be affected if the reform becomes law. The proposal’s path through committee and floor votes will determine whether these protections take effect.
This story was first reported by BCS Noticias.