The Baja California chapter of the Asociación Mexicana de Hidráulica (Mexican Hydraulic Association) held a forum on Thursday, May 14, where water experts identified wastewater sanitation and potable water supply as the state’s two most urgent infrastructure challenges.
The association’s central conclusion was direct: ensuring reliable access to clean drinking water remains Baja California’s top priority. The forum brought together specialists to assess the state of water infrastructure across the region, with a focus on treatment capacity and delivery systems.
Sewage Treatment and Supply Gaps
Wastewater sanitation ranked as the leading concern. Baja California’s sewage infrastructure has long struggled to keep pace with population growth in cities like Tijuana, Ensenada, and Mexicali. Untreated or partially treated wastewater has been a recurring problem, particularly in Tijuana, where cross-border sewage flows into the Tijuana River Valley have drawn international attention and strained relations with San Diego County.
Potable water supply was the second major crisis flagged at the forum. Baja California depends heavily on allocations from the Colorado River, which have been declining for more than two decades due to drought and rising demand across the U.S. Southwest and northern Mexico. Since 1999, the flow from the Colorado River tributary supplying the region has decreased steadily.
Recent Disruptions Across the State
The forum comes during a period of active water disruptions across the state. Residents in Tijuana, Ensenada, and Mexicali have all experienced water rationing, low pressure, and utility warnings in recent weeks. These events have made the association’s findings especially timely for the roughly 4 million people living in the state.
Water scarcity in Baja California is not a new issue. Experts have warned for years that inadequate management, aging pipelines, and insufficient investment in desalination and recycling infrastructure have left the state vulnerable. The state’s arid climate compounds every gap in the system.
Long-Term Infrastructure Investment Needed
The association’s message pointed toward the need for sustained investment in both new supply sources and modernized treatment facilities. Desalination has been discussed as a potential solution for coastal cities, but large-scale projects have been slow to materialize. Leak reduction in existing distribution networks is another area where experts see room for improvement.
The forum was reported by Zeta Tijuana.