Mexico Approves Major Water Law Reforms to Boost Governance

Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies has approved the General Water Law and amendments to the National Water Law, marking one of the most significant reforms in water governance in recent years. The legislation, backed by President Claudia Sheinbaum, passed in a general vote with 328 in favor, 131 against, and five abstentions, following a tense two-day session marked by shouting matches, accusations, and a brief confrontation between members of the National Action Party (PAN) and Workers’ Party (PT). Despite repeated calls for order, the chamber advanced the reform, which aims to redefine national water management and update oversight mechanisms.

The initiative was first submitted on Oct. 9 as part of Sheinbaum’s plan to guarantee equitable access to water and strengthen sustainable use across the country. The approved framework recognizes the human right to water and establishes the Mexican state as the sole authority responsible for regulating its use. It also creates a new category of water-related crimes that will be pursued ex officio.

The Commission on Hydraulic Resources, Potable Water and Sanitation led the review process and introduced several modifications following weeks of discussion with civil society and stakeholders. The law’s objectives include promoting, protecting and guaranteeing access to water for personal and domestic use, while fostering a national culture of conservation. The text also requires that public policy integrate gender, disability and intercultural perspectives.

The reform includes several structural changes. It eliminates the transfer of water rights between private parties, mandates that unused concessions be returned to the National Water Commission (Conagua) for reassignment and introduces hydric responsibility as a criterion for sustainable access. It also transforms the Public Water Rights Registry into a National Water Registry, adjusts fee structures to prevent hoarding and sets rules for agrarian-use concessions. In addition, the law strengthens monitoring and sanctions for irregular water use and introduces a full catalog of water-related offenses.

Ahead of the vote, Conagua director Efraín Morales López described the package as “an act of justice for the people of Mexico,” saying it would help regulate concessions and curb overexploitation. President Sheinbaum, speaking on Dec. 3, reiterated that the purpose of the law is to protect the resource and ensure access. “We must stop viewing water as a commodity and see it as a resource and a right,” she said.

Ricardo Monreal Ávila, president of the Political Coordination Board (Jucopo), introduced additional changes during the session. These include requiring the state to prevent, investigate, sanction and repair violations of the human right to water through an Internal Control Body. The reform also integrates water into the National Water Strategy and expands the responsibilities of local Water Operating Agencies, which manage extraction, treatment, distribution, drainage, billing and collection systems. States will have 180 days to harmonize their laws with the new national framework.

The reform has prompted concern among agricultural producers, who staged demonstrations across several states in recent weeks. Farmers argued that restrictions on transferring or inheriting water concessions would undermine the value of their land and create uncertainty around long-term planning. Mobilizations included the blockade of the Zaragoza–Ysleta international bridge. Following negotiations in the Chamber of Deputies, agricultural groups reported that the federal government agreed to continue discussing mechanisms ensuring that water use supports food production while addressing sustainability and regulatory goals.

Opposition parties in congress have also voiced their objections to the law, criticizing the framework as “too aggressive.” According to Movimiento Ciudadano legislator Laura Ballesteros, the new law could create legal uncertainty without clearly defined protocols. She cited the absence of concession-granting procedures, operational criteria and oversight mechanisms, arguing that these gaps would increase risks for users and complicate emergency response. 

Movimiento Ciudadano’s counterproposal includes a public Water Emergency Trust designed to activate during droughts, floods or fires. The fund would support ecosystem restoration, guarantee potable water in critical situations and finance coordinated negotiations to prevent distribution failures. The proposal calls for full transparency in the concession system, strict limits on extraction and prioritization of domestic and community use over industrial and commercial activities. It also seeks to democratize water management through formal participation of Indigenous peoples, rural communities and women. Finally, the counterproposal denounces what it describes as water “looting” by companies operating with insufficient oversight and calls for an end to practices that have deprived entire communities of access.