La Paz Mayor Milena Quiroga Romero says the city’s new Water Monitoring Center is catching water thieves in real time and improving delivery across the municipal network. The center, operated by OOMSAPAS (the Municipal Water and Sanitation System of La Paz), automates wells, tracks aqueducts and elevated tanks, and flags irregularities as they happen.
In one recent incident, sensors detected a sudden drop in volume at a well. Operators traced the loss to unauthorized tanker trucks, known as pipas, that were illegally siphoning water from the source. The practice, called huachicoleo, had long plagued the city’s supply system, diverting water meant for residential customers.
Well Network Grows From 835 to 1,176
Since Quiroga’s administration took office, the well network has expanded from 835 to 1,176 wells. That expansion added roughly 90 gallons per second to the system’s capacity. Measuring equipment installed across the network has also helped identify illegal taps on distribution lines, which OOMSAPAS is now working to shut down or regularize.
Before 2022, wells across La Paz suffered constant vandalism. The city has since installed security fencing and surveillance cameras at well sites to address the problem. Quiroga credited OOMSAPAS staff with building the monitoring center and its automated systems.
New Tools Coming This Year
The city plans to roll out a new tool called Visor del Agua (Water Viewer) this year. The platform will allow real-time public monitoring of water service across La Paz. Starting in May, the first “Agua Bienestar” station will also be installed, offering drinking water dispensers for refilling containers and certified water bubblers.
Quiroga also announced a public education campaign called “Taking care of water is taking care of La Paz.” The campaign will visit schools and public spaces to teach children and young people about responsible water use. The effort comes as La Paz and Los Cabos continue to face acute water stress driven by drought and growing demand.
In March 2026, OOMSAPAS launched a separate regularization program for illegal connections under the slogan “Goodbye to water theft.” That program aims to bring unauthorized users into the official system, giving them formal contracts while recovering lost flow for the broader network.
Originally reported by BCS Noticias.