Electrical failures have knocked out water service to more than 75% of neighborhoods in La Paz, the municipal water authority OOMSAPAS (Organismo Operador Municipal del Sistema de Agua Potable, Alcantarillado y Saneamiento) announced on July 1. The agency blamed power outages by the federal utility CFE (Comisión Federal de Electricidad) for shutting down the pumps and booster stations that move water through the city’s distribution system.
OOMSAPAS Director Abimael Ibarra Abúndez signed the statement, saying the disruption stems from causes outside the water agency’s control. “When power outages occur due to causes beyond our control, some areas of Baja California Sur may experience delays in water service or reduced water pressure while service is being restored,” Ibarra said.
Why Power Outages Mean No Water
La Paz relies on electric pumps to pull water from underground wells and push it through booster stations into elevated storage tanks. When CFE power goes down, those pumps stop. Hilltop and outlying colonias are hit hardest because they depend on re-pumping stations to push water uphill.
Summer power outages are a recurring problem in Baja California Sur. High demand from air conditioning strains the electrical grid during the hottest months, and the peninsula’s isolation from mainland power infrastructure limits backup options. OOMSAPAS said crews are working around the clock to restore water service progressively as electricity returns, but the agency gave no timeline for full restoration.
A City Already Under Water Stress
The outage compounds a deeper problem. A 2022 federal report found La Paz was extracting 39% more water annually than its aquifer could recharge. Studies of the aging distribution network revealed that nearly half the municipal water extracted never reaches consumers, lost to leaks and infrastructure failures.
La Paz is one of the fastest-growing urban areas in northwestern Mexico. Rapid development, tourism, and migration have driven demand well beyond what the aquifer and infrastructure were designed to handle. Ibarra noted that OOMSAPAS also serves Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, where the same electricity-dependent pump systems are in use.
What Residents Should Do Now
Residents in higher-elevation neighborhoods should fill containers and stock bottled water while supply remains uncertain. Those with rooftop tinaco tanks may have a short buffer, but once tanks drain, no water will flow until pumps restart. OOMSAPAS has not announced a schedule for rolling restoration or identified which colonias will be prioritized.
The agency’s full statement was originally published by Colectivo Pericú.