OOMSAPAS La Paz (the municipal water and sanitation utility) has begun infrastructure projects in Todos Santos and El Pescadero to expand drinking water supply and upgrade wastewater treatment in two of Baja California Sur’s fastest-growing communities. The utility’s director general supervised excavation of a new well and the extension of water networks into underserved neighborhoods as part of the “Más Agua para La Paz” (More Water for La Paz) development plan.
New Well and Network Expansion in Two Neighborhoods
The projects target two specific colonias: El Aguacatón and La Ahorcadita, both of which currently lack connections to the municipal water grid. Crews are excavating a new well to boost supply, while pipeline work will bring service to homes that have relied on private water deliveries.
Until permanent infrastructure is complete, OOMSAPAS will deploy water tankers (pipas) to serve residents in the affected areas. The utility also announced upgrades to the El Pescadero wastewater treatment plant, though it did not release cost figures or a completion timeline.
Chronic Aquifer Stress in the Todos Santos Basin
The Todos Santos aquifer, the sole water source for both towns, faces over-extraction, saltwater intrusion, and invasion by arundo, a non-native reed that consumes large volumes of groundwater. Todos Santos sits about an hour north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19 and roughly an hour southwest of La Paz. Its 2020 census population was 7,185, but years of construction and foreign investment have pushed actual demand well beyond that figure.
El Pescadero, a farming and surf community about 10 miles south of Todos Santos on Highway 19, has seen similar growth. Both towns draw from the same stressed aquifer, and new subdivisions on the outskirts have outpaced the utility’s ability to lay pipe.
Water access has been a recurring issue across Baja California Sur. In September 2024, La Paz inaugurated the La Buena Mujer water purification plant to serve 12 neighborhoods and roughly 13,000 residents in the state capital. The Todos Santos and El Pescadero projects represent a push to extend similar improvements beyond the city of La Paz itself.
OOMSAPAS has not published a budget or projected completion date for the Todos Santos and El Pescadero work. The projects were announced on the La Paz municipal government’s official news portal, according to Noticias La Paz.