At least 13,500 illegal wells in Chihuahua

Story from El Diario today:

El Diario 10/9/12

There are in Chihuahua at least 13,500 illegal wells.

The National Water Commission (CONAGUA) warned yesterday that there are at least 13,500 wells operating without title nor permit for agricultural use, hundreds of them extracting water from 19 over-exploited aquifers of the 61 identified aquifers in Chihuahua.

Of these 19 aquifers listed as “over-exploited,” the agency has further identified at least six as “severely over-exploited.”  According to a study by CONAGUA in September 2011, of the 20,943 wells registered by the agency and powered by the national electric agency, 13,500 … would be operating in 5 irrigation districts…the majority of all the irrigation districts are above “over-exploited” aquifers.   But according to these same irrigation districts, the 13,500 illegal wells that water thousands of hectares in the state, remove in one agricultural cycle the amount of water that should last for five.

The remaining 7,443 wells are under municipal water and sanitation departments.  They are used for provision of drinking water to cities and rural communities.   Ten of the most important cities, with 82% of the population, are supplied with water from these over-utilized aquifers.   This past June 1, the national CONAGUA Inspection and Measurement director, Roberto Merino Carrión, asserted that “for every authorized well there are at least eight taking the water clandestinely.” It is estimated that only 3.5% of the annual rainfall filters to the aquifers to recharge them  (646.34 million cubic meters of the 18,467 cubic meters possible).