SEDEMA Removes Debris Affecting Water Recharge Area

Mexico City’s Ministry of Environment (SEDEMA) announced the completion of a cleaning and conservation project in Sierra Santa Catarina, located between the Iztapalapa and Tlahuac boroughs. Authorities removed construction waste to restore proper rainfall runoff and prevent water pollution in one of the Eastern region’s primary water recharge areas.

The project, coordinated by SEDEMA's General Directorate of Protected Natural Areas and Areas of Environmental Value (DGSANPAVA), in collaboration with the Acahualtepec Territorial Directorate, Iztapalapa’s Legal Department, and the Ministry of Security (SSC), focused on removing construction waste and restoring a key access path within the protected area.

In accordance with the Environmental Law of Mexico City, teams successfully cleared a section of a major pathway in the Sierra Santa Catarina area, removing a total of 23m³ of materials, including 18m³ of stone, 3m³ of gravel, and 2m³ of sand. The materials were stored at the Acahualtepec facilities. The operation followed the identification of the waste during routine monitoring by DGSANPAVA’s forestry brigades, which continue to operate in the region.

According to SEDEMA, construction debris, including stone, gravel, and sand, disrupts the ecological function of the area by obstructing rainfall runoff, contaminating water bodies, and degrading the landscape. This environmental cleanup is part of ongoing efforts to maintain the area’s ecological health.

SEDEMA says that Sierra Santa Catarina is a critical water recharge zone for the Eastern Zone of Mexico City. Despite low rainfall, concentrated over five months, the Sierra Santa Catarina can filter 50% of rainwater, making it a vital source of water storage for the region, alongside Cerro de la Estrella.