During the current administration in Mexico City, The year 2023 is the one in which the most clandestine water extraction taps have detectedaccording to reports from the CDMX Water System (Sacmex).
Last year, the agency verified the illegality of 32 clandestine intakes. Through a request via transparency made by The Sun of Mexicohe Sacmex reported that during 2023 it received 209 reports of clandestine water intakesmeaning that 15 percent of the shots turned out to be illegal (32).
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In In 2022 there were 14 while in 2021 and 2020 Sacmex verified the clandestinity of 25 shots, respectively. In 2019 there were only 14.
He water huachicoleo is a practice that has become frequent in the face of shortage. As soon as the report reaches Sacmex, it carries out the corresponding operations to verify whether the water intakes are registered or not and, if their irregularity is classified, the Government Secretariat, the Citizen Security Secretariat and the Attorney General’s Office intervene. Capital justice.
Last Thursday the Secretary of Security Pablo Vázquez Camacho assured that He has his sights set on “two or three properties” in which apparently there are clandestine water intakes and is waiting for complaints by the Mexico City Water System (Sacmex) to request search warrants and intervene.
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He added that with the Attorney General’s Office of Mexico City works on the integration of information about some properties in which there are suspicions that there are irregular water intakesbut, by the principle of inviolability of the homes, now what follows is to request a search warrant from a judge, as if it were a drug-related crime. “We are working on the integration of these folders and also verifying any information that citizens may report to us,” said Vázquez Camacho.
According to data provided by Sacmex to this diary, The mayor’s office where the number of reports of water intakes was concentrated last year was Tlalpan, with 31 cases. This territory is one of the most affected by water shortages in recent months. They are followed by the mayor’s office Cuauhtemoc (21) and the Gustavo A. Madero (19).
In 2022, Sacmex received 241 reports, That is to say, only 5.8 percent of these were illegal (14). In 2021 there were 229 reports, 10.9 percent of them were considered clandestine shots (25); A previous year, in 2020, they reported 210 cases, so 11 percent were irregular (25).
In In 2019, the Mexico City Water System captured 377 cases and concluded that 3.7 percent of them did not have the corresponding permits (14 shots).
The Law of Right to Access, Disposal and Sanitation of Water in Mexico City points out that domestic users who clandestinely install connections in any of the water network facilities will be creditors of fines of between 10,857 and 32,571. And as for non-domestic users, the fines are 54 thousand 285 to 108 thousand 570 pesos.
When the authorities receive any report of clandestine shotsthey go to the place to perform a physical examination. Subsequently, they compare the data with the agency’s records; If the intake does not have documentation, they guide those responsible to make a registration request through the water system user service page.
In the event that users are unable to prove the registration, the intake is closed.
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Since last year, The local government carries out operations to reduce water leaks. On January 3, the authorities closed an irregular water intake in the town of Magdalena Petlacalco, Alcaldía Tlalpan, and on February 7 they located three properties where there are alleged clandestine intakes.
Despite the detection of illegal intakes, in In the most recent operations, no people have been detained, due to the lack of legislation in this regard. Thus, In January of this year, the local president, Martí Batres Guadarrama, raised the possibility of developing an initiative to reform the capital’s Penal Code.with the purpose of punish water theft with jail.