LGA Consulting Blog

In 2009, Mexican bottled water volumes grew 6% and current sales revenues grew by 8.6%, making the market third highest in the world behind China and the United States. As a result, Mexico produced 26,000 billion liters of bottled water and $140 billion pesos (US$10.7 billion) in revenue. The graph below demonstrates the enormous revenue growth in the sector, with revenue having doubled since 2004 and having increased by 1/3 since 2006.
(more…)

The negative press about security issues that Mexico has been receiving has more than overshadowed the relatively strong economic growth and activity in 2009 and 2010, so that many companies might feel that Mexico, from a business point of view, should just be avoided for now and perhaps revisited in the second half of 2011 or perhaps even 2012.  As a result, we feel that it is important if not vital to provide you with some information about just how vibrant the Mexican economy (4.5% growth in 2010) and import dynamic (US exports to Mexico up 32%) has been so far this year – positive growth and dynamic that is supposed to continue and expand further in 2011. 
(more…)

For years, executives in the environmental sector have recognized the need and potential for products and services opportunities with the 500,000 Mexican companies that are discharging waste into water systems and bodies.  In 1996, the Mexican Secretary of the Environment (SEMARNAT) passed the first two comprehensive wastewater discharge regulations to meet these needs: NOM 001 for wastewater discharges into federal bodies of water, and NOM 002 for wastewater discharges into municipal sewer systems that eventually pass into federal water bodies. 

Conagua and municipal enforcement realities

Enforcement of these two standards is somewhat confusing at best.  There are about 150 Conagua officials, based in each Mexican state, who are in charge of the implementation of NOM 001 with companies and municipal entities that discharge municipal and/or industrial waste into federal bodies.  NOM 002 is regulated exclusively by each municipality without state or federal supervision.  And, Profepa, the Mexican “environmental police”, really do not have any current role in enforcement of these NOMs.  
(more…)

LGA Consulting has translated the two wastewater discharge standards in Mexico:  NOM 001 (for discharges into federal bodies of water) and NOM 002 (for discharges into municipal bodies of water).  If you would like a copy of the Spanish and/or English versions of these standards, please contact our offices.

In a previous edition of our Quarterly Mexico Water Report, which can be found on the LGA Consulting website, we did an extensive analysis of waste water treatment plant infrastructure and growth plans through the end of 2009.  This article deals with new information from the Conagua National Treatment Plant Inventory (December 2009) for both potable water and wastewater plants as well as the expectations and realities for the first half of 2010 and the trends for the rest of 2010 and 2011 regarding wastewater plants in Mexico. 
(more…)

Like many developing countries, Mexico faces the problem of water shortages and inadequate water treatment technology and infrastructure. Mexico currently treats only 40% of its municipal wastewater. Of even greater concern is the fact that only 10% of the municipal wastewater is treated currently in the Greater Mexico City Area and none of the municipal wastewater in Mexico’s second most important city, Guadalajara, is currently treated.

Of equal concern, in relation to wastewater treatment needs, is the fact that of the 653 aquifers in the country, 104 are considered to be overexploited and 68 are on the verge of overexploitation. In light of these problems with 30% of Mexico’s aquifers and the limited availability of water, especially in the northern part of the country, the Mexican government is making treatment and reuse activities a priority so that it can meet its goal of 60% wastewater treatment by 2012 and the more lofty goal of 100% treatment by 2030.
(more…)

As of 2008, there were 2,082 industrial wastewater plants in operation throughout Mexico. Not all plants are designed to carry out the same processes of treating industrial wastewater. Mexico has four types of treatment plants:
• Primary, with the objetive of adjusting pH levels and removing organic and/or inorganic materials that are 0.1 millimeters or larger;
• Secondary, with the objective of removing colloidal and dissolved organic materials;
• Tertiary, with the objective of removing dissolved materials including gases, natural and organic substances, ions, bacterias, and viruses; and
• Other, plants without one of the above designations or without such concrete objectives,
Of these 2,082 plants, 648 or 32% are considered primary while well over half (56%) or 1,185 plants, are considered secondary. Only 66 plants, or 3%, are considered to have tertiary treatment operations while 183 plants, or about 9%, are not characterized by any of these three categories and one would assume are probably more primary than tertiary in nature. Undoubtedly, Mexico lacks the vision and resources to expand its tertiary treatment coverage as a developed country might. While the country still lacks considerable primary and secondary coverage, its somewhat extensive number of secondary plant numbers seem to indicate that Mexico is willing and able to prioritize beyond just basic, traditional, primary treatment goals and technology.
(more…)