Federal authorities signed an emergency tanker truck agreement with the Los Cabos water utility on April 14 after the shutdown of two unpermitted wells deepened the city’s ongoing water shortage. CONAGUA (the National Water Commission) will provide eight tanker trucks to Cabo San Lucas, while OOMSAPAS Los Cabos, the local water and sewer agency, will supply the personnel to fill and distribute them.
The Los Cabos water crisis escalated after CONAGUA ordered the closure of two wells known as “El Chaparro” and “Estrella” for operating without proper authorization. The shutdowns triggered protests from tanker truck drivers and residents who say those wells were a primary source of water for neighborhoods already facing irregular service.
Political Blame Game Intensifies
The shortage has become a political flashpoint. PAN (National Action Party) state leader Rigoberto Mares Aguilar accused the federal government of using water infrastructure investment as a political tool. He argued that La Paz, the state capital roughly 160 kilometers north, is receiving funding for water projects while Los Cabos is being left out.
Mayor Christian Agúndez Gómez has publicly criticized what he calls a lack of federal support. The head of CONAGUA’s Baja California Sur basin office faces accusations of obstructing proposed solutions, though no formal complaint has been filed.
A Problem Years in the Making
The water shortage in Los Cabos is not new. The region’s desalination plant near Cabo San Lucas has historically operated well below capacity. Reports from late 2024 placed its output at roughly 36 to 40 percent, producing about 90 liters per second instead of the 250 liters per second it was designed to deliver. The San Lázaro Water Treatment Plant in San José del Cabo has also been running at about 50 percent capacity.
Los Cabos draws much of its water supply from aquifers in the Sierra de La Laguna mountains. Rapid population growth driven by tourism development has strained that supply for years. The city’s desalination plant, installed in 2006 at a cost of roughly $165 million USD, was designed to serve about one third of the local population but has never consistently met that target.
For now, tanker truck delivery remains the stopgap. No timeline has been announced for restoring the closed wells or expanding other supply sources. The original reporting was published by The Cabo Post.