The Cutzamala reservoir system supplying the Mexico City metropolitan area has reached 81% capacity
Water reserves in the Cutzamala reservoir system, which meets part of the needs of the Mexico City metropolitan area, reached 81.05% of capacity at the end of August. This is the highest figure in a decade, Mexico News Daily reports, citing Mexico’s National Water Commission, Conagua.
13 weeks of recovery
According to Conagua, the Cutzamala system had been recovering for 13 consecutive weeks since the start of the rainy season on June 4. During the final week of August alone, rainfall and surface runoff in the Balsas River basin, where the system’s infrastructure and reservoirs are located, brought in 15.02 million cubic meters of water.
The system supplies water to approximately 5 million residents of the Mexico City metropolitan area. This accounts for 18% of the area’s total water consumption, or about 422 million liters per day.
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Levels of the three reservoirs
Conagua’s August report stated that the Valle de Bravo reservoir was 86.58% full and contained 341.47 million cubic meters of water. The level at Villa Victoria reached 78.10%, or 145.06 million cubic meters, while El Bosque stood at 72.98%, or 147.71 million cubic meters.
For comparison, the system operated at 36.71% capacity in 2023 and at 42% in 2024. At the beginning of August, the overall reserve level was 73.81%, rising to 81.05% by August 30.
Forecast through the end of the rainy season
Conagua expects that by October 31, when rainfall in the catchment area is expected to decline to nearly zero, the system may reach 98% of capacity. The agency also links the rise in water levels to five days when more than 20 mm of rainfall was recorded in the Balsas and Lerma basins. In particular, on August 16, Villa Victoria received 18 mm of rainfall, Valle de Bravo received 34 mm, and El Bosque received 26 mm.
