The Last Drops of Mexico City

Groundwater, depleted by decades of overexploitation, along with the soft soil that used to be the lake bed, can no longer support the megalopolis. The sections of the city built on top of where the lakes used to be are literally sinking under their own weight. The city’s sinking also causes major water leaks and spills, as underground pipelines fracture. Seismic activity, common in Mexico City, worsens the situation. Research from Mexico’s National Autonomous University indicates that 40% of Mexico City’s water is lost due to these spills. “The settlement and historical development of this huge city, since pre-Columbian times, is in a closed basin on the bed of a lake,” says Hilda Hesselbach, a consultant for international development agencies in Mexico and a biologist specializing in nature conservation issues, including water preservation. “So, among the main problems of the water crisis come floods and, in part, differential sinking of the city due to compression of the ground.” ... Read full article.