The head of Mexico’s National Water Commission (CONAGUA) praised La Paz Mayor Milena Quiroga’s water infrastructure program during a federal morning press conference, calling it a model worth replicating across the country. CONAGUA Director General Efraín Morales López singled out the “Plan Más Agua para La Paz” for its modern approach to solving chronic water distribution problems in the Baja California Sur capital.
Morales López pointed to three key elements of the plan: elevated water tanks, a city sectorization strategy that divides the distribution network into manageable zones, and a Water Monitoring Center that tracks supply in real time. Together, these components represent what the federal official described as a comprehensive and modern approach to water management.
Long-Standing Water Challenges
La Paz, home to roughly 300,000 residents, has struggled for years with low water pressure, uneven distribution, and aging infrastructure. The sectorization strategy mirrors an approach used successfully in Monterrey, where dividing the network into sectors allowed officials to identify leaks and manage pressure more effectively.
The federal recognition ties directly to ongoing construction of the El Novillo dam, a major infrastructure project President Claudia Sheinbaum launched in December 2025. The dam, part of Mexico’s National Water Plan, will feature a wall 44 meters high and 389 meters long. It is designed to add 53 liters per second to the city’s water system and benefit more than 250,000 residents.
Federal Investment Backing the Plan
A 15-kilometer aqueduct will connect the dam to La Paz’s distribution network, working alongside the elevated tanks already included in Quiroga’s plan. The project is publicly financed through a joint effort between CONAGUA, the state government, and the municipality. Construction of the dam alone carries a price tag of approximately 37 million euros (around $41 million USD).
The dam is expected to generate 700 direct jobs and 1,400 indirect jobs during construction. CONAGUA has outlined a national portfolio of 37 strategic water projects for 2025 with a total investment of 30.8 billion pesos (approximately $1.57 billion USD) under the broader Plan México initiative.
What It Means for La Paz
For the city’s residents, the federal endorsement means La Paz’s water future now depends on both local innovation and national infrastructure spending. The combination of the sectorized network, elevated tanks, the monitoring center, and the El Novillo dam represents the most significant overhaul of the city’s water system in decades. Whether it translates to consistent water pressure at the tap remains to be seen as construction continues.
This story was first reported by BCS Noticias.