Baja California Urged to Adopt Las Vegas Water Management

Mexicali industry leader Xavier Rivas Martínez has called on Baja California’s state government to implement aggressive measures in response to prolonged drought in the Colorado River Basin and rising urban water stress. He advocates adopting a water management model similar to Las Vegas, highlighting that the city reuses about 33% of its water supply, conducts continuous leak repair programs, and enforces conservation rules through fines.

According to Rivas Martínez, Las Vegas also operates a “water patrol” that penalizes activities such as washing cars with hoses, watering outside permitted hours, and maintaining conventional lawns, which have largely been replaced with water-efficient landscaping. These measures have made Las Vegas a global benchmark for water efficiency, attracting delegations from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and U.S. states such as Arizona and California.

Rivas Martínez contrasted Las Vegas’ approach with what he described as inaction by Baja California authorities and residents. “I say this with responsibility and respect for the governor, but I believe she is poorly advised on water issues,” he said. “Leaks and the lack of a culture of water conservation have harmed us for decades.” He urged Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda (Morena) to strengthen water policies through expanded reuse, continuous leak repairs, and stricter enforcement.

The Colorado River Basin has faced drought conditions for more than 20 years, leading Mexico and the United States to sign Minutes 319, 323 and 330. These agreements reduced the annual volume of water delivered to Baja California through the Mexicali Valley to 1.85 billion m3, according to Rivas Martínez. At the same time, population growth and urban expansion, particularly along the coast, have increased pressure to shift water from agricultural to urban use.

Rivas Martínez said nearly all of Baja California’s water depends on snowfall in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, which feeds the Colorado River over a 2,300-kilometer course. He argued that the state needs more technical and operational management and less political decision-making to protect the resource.

In response, Baja California authorities have begun taking action to lessen the state’s dependence on the Colorado River, which supplies water to nine out of 10 families in the state’s coastal area. In October 2025, the state launched a landmark water regeneration project designed to treat and reuse up to 720L/s of wastewater. The initiative is part of agreements stipulated by Minute 328 for the Sanitation of the Tijuana River, established by Mexico and the United States through the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC).

The plan includes the rehabilitation of the Ing. Arturo Herrera and La Morita Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs), as well as the construction of a conveyance system to channel treated water into a tributary leading to the Abelardo L. Rodríguez Dam, in compliance with environmental regulation NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021.

“Water regeneration is a global trend, and this project is a unique opportunity to make use of regenerated water to meet both the high demand, mainly in Tijuana, and the water stress affecting the region,” said Víctor Amador, Minister of Water of Baja California.

Mexico-US Cooperating to Address Baja California Water Crisis

Expanding on Minute 328, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Alicia Bárcena and US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the signing of Minute 333 in December 2025. The agreement, designed to address the sewage contamination affecting the Tijuana River, introduces additional actions intended to support a permanent resolution to the issue. 

Minute 333 incorporates future population considerations, additional infrastructure projects in Mexico, enhanced operational requirements, technical data sharing, and communication mechanisms with authorities and the public. Among the agreed actions were the creation of an operations and maintenance account at the North American Development Bank (NADB) and the development of a Tijuana water infrastructure master plan within 6 months. Within three months, the parties also agreed to form a binational working group to assess the feasibility of constructing an ocean outfall for the San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant (SABWWTP) and evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of expanding SABWWTP from 18.26MGD to 43.37MGD. 

Meanwhile, Mexico committed to building a sediment basin in Matadero Canyon near the international boundary before the 2026–2027 rainy season. In addition, federal authorities will be required to complete construction of the Tecolote-La Gloria Wastewater Treatment Plant by December 2028. Once finished, the plan is projected to hold a capacity of 3 MGD.

The Tijuana River has suffered from untreated wastewater crossing into Southern California for decades, causing repeated beach closures, environmental damage in the Tijuana River Valley, economic losses, and public health concerns on both sides of the border.