CONAGUA General Director Jose Luis Luege Tamargo announced a stronger commitment by the Mexican federal water commission to develop new and better water usage norms or standards that will allow for an improved balance between human and environmental water needs. He specifically discussed a new norm to establish the minimum flow levels for river basins to ensure their preservation and allow for the recuperation of caudal ecosystems.
Eight other water norms that will be insitituted sometime during 2010 include:
- Water consumption specifications for plumbing/bathroom devices;
- Specifications and test methods for potable water system, sewer, and domestic water intake related to hermetic questions;
- Maximum allowed pollutant limits for brine water discharge of sea water desalination plants into national waters and related environmental impacts;
- Modification of NOM-011-CONAGUA-2000, which establishes the specifications and methods to determine the mid-annual availability of national waters;
- Discharge for urban wastewater that is not connected to a sewer system;
- Requirements to obtain the seal of “Ecological Grade” for laundry washing machines;
- Specifications for rainwater discharge in urban zones; and
- Flow control devices, water flow regulators, and test methods.
The same article included an inventory of the country’s wetlands, which will aid in determining the current state of these ecosystems, knowing what these assets and services provide, and being able to develop measures to ensure their conservation and sustainable development.
Sources: Conagua Press Release, November 9, 2009; Ooska News, December 9, 2009; additional information obtained from Conagua officials in February 2010
Tags: conagua
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