‘When we open the pipe, we poison ourselves’

The communities around Guwanjuado’s San Miguel de Alende are continuing to grow, so the pressure of the already underwent ground water supply.

In The Upper Laja River basinMore than 740,000 people live in seven municipalities, deep wells and poor pollution have become routine – the increasing number of health risks and the public concern is increasing. The worries were in front and center of the crisis of a community, San Diego de La Union, north of San Miguel de Alende last Thursday.

“When we open the pipe, we are poisoning ourselves.”

With those words, Mayor Juan Carlos Castilo Castilo Castilo may open a press conference and prove to be a turning point for his municipality – and the entire Laja River in the northeast of the state of Kuanjuado. This event refers to a rare and significant moment of transparency in the local government, as the mayor has the amount of water pollution that affects the San Diego de la union and the surrounding communities.

The problem is new or is not isolated. Throughout the basin, aquaculture is exaggerated and contaminated, pushing the entire municipalities into a full -scale public health crisis. Water quality surveillance conducted between April and July 2024 was found to be unsafe in 23 rural wells tested at the San Diego de La Union. These wells provide water to 59 rural communities. Eleven wells are Mexico’s legal range for Arsenic and nineteen people-contaminants attached to the long-term health problems. Innovations violate national regulations and international health guidelines.

“It’s not about water,” said Dylan Terll, Managing Director of the NGO Water roads. “It is about a proper health loss – kidney failure, tooth and paralysis, cognitive problems in children. And it is invisible until it becomes too late.”

The Alvaro Gutres Perra of Cominaos de Ahua, who oversees the water surveillance, emphasized the risks. “There is nothing that is Arsenic safe. Even small sizes accumulate. The well was tested five times greater than the former Hagenta de Jessas’s well.” In San Jose Dell Sarko, Fluoride is measured 4.08 mg/L, which is four times higher than legal standards. Throughout the municipality, 59 of 71 communities have now been confirmed to have unsafe water.

“It’s a time bomb,” the mayor warned. “If we are not working right now, there will be insufficient evidence to maintain many sick people. No government or family can tolerate the price of kidney infection.” A single hemodialysis session costs up to 1,500 pesos, and patients need several treatments weekly, and cost most rural families.

.That’s breaking

Public health hazards related to water infrastructure are often underestimated or are highlighted to civil society groups. That is why the direct language of Mayor Castilo Cantero was very significant – and many were too late for many. “Alarms sound -whether we want to see them,” he said. “We cannot ignore them. Now we have to act -for our health, for our children, for future generations.”

The community of Kudelia Trezo’s Poso Ademato had a large amount of fluoride and arsenic until the rainwater harvesting system began. “I began to feel relief from all pains because I am one of the many survivors of painkillers. Rainwater harvesting is new to us, the most beautiful thing is the breath of life.”

Answers driven by community

In spite of heavy data, the mood is not hopeless. Castilo stressed that the Cantro was already underway.

The municipality, along with the Cominaos de Ahua and the grassroots organizations, Sekoba and Konlavis, have established more than 490 rainwater harvesting systems (scals), which is currently working on an additional $ 140 this year. These systems include forts that collect and storage with clean, arsenic and fluoride -free rainwater, and are suitable for human consumption in conjunction with household water filters. A family of 5,000 liters of properly used 5,000 liters can be supplied with safe water for at least six months.

Reverse osmotic filters are also used to be useful against heavy metals, although their cost and infrastructure requirements are difficult to distribute widespread distribution.

“These impurities cannot be boiled,” said Gutrees Berra. “Common filters such as carbon or UV do not remove them. And the bottle water is 100 times more expensive than the municipal distribution -and the environment is worse.”

Maria Dell Rosario, a community of Los Ricos, helps take care of the underground water treatment system and a social -scale arsenic and fluoride water treatment plant designed by Communos de Akua and their educational partners. “We have been for many years without safe drinking water. It is hard work to take care of the underwater water treatment system. This has changed the reality of my family and society,” he said.

A regional issue that demands joint action

Key Castilo Cantero stressed that San Diego de la union could not solve the crisis
Alone. “This is a regional crisis,” he said. “We share a waterproof with the other seven municipalities. If one of us fail to act, we all suffer.”

Neighbors, state officials and federal organizations should coordinate efforts – he once requested to renew efforts like Phonasa, a federal plan, which funded rainwater harvesting systems and filters, but then stopped.

“We are very sad to remove Phonaza,” he said. “That effort gave us a real opportunity to build household water safety. Now we are raising our own awareness-but awareness is not enough.”

“This is not something that the government can solve alone. We need awareness, cooperation and pressure.”

This includes cultural change in how residents understand water risks.

The mayor said there was a change in priorities. Citizens often demand streetlights or sidewalk roads because they do not understand the invisible threat in the water, but as soon as they do, they begin to ask for forts and filtration systems.

The future

In his final comments, Castilo did not do the sugar coat.

“If we are not working right now, we will affect the health of the future generation,” he said. “This is not a soap opera episode. This is a real crisis we live every day. This is not a call for alarm – this is a call to act.”