Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

Good Practices and InnovATIONS in Public Governance
Latin America and the Caribbean
Mexico
2005 Category 2 Winner
Secretaría de Agua
Obra Pública e Infrastructura para el Desarrollo
México
Description
Addressing the issue of water shortage by creating a government entity aimed
at coordinating and monitoring the hydraulic policy in the state of Mexico.
The Problem
The State of Mexico is the most populated region of the country. A serious water shortage
had become a critical issue due to the over-exploitation of its water-bearing strata.
The Solution
To address this crisis, and to coordinate and monitor the hydraulic policy of the State
of Mexico, the “Secretaría de Agua, obra Pública e Infraestructura para el Desarrollo” was
established. This initiative led to the development of the “Programa Hidraulico Integral
del Estado,” which looks at the problem in a long term perspective and determines the
approach towards water policy for the next 25 years. Up to date, the Secretariat has
successfully increased and improved water supply to the population of the state of
Mexico on a daily basis.
The initiative has vastly improved the delivery of water and now serves 13.64 million
people – with an emphasis on sustained service that is equitable and reliable. Due to
the continued efforts of the Secretariat, an additional 1.9 million people have gained
access to potable water; the quality of the water is guaranteed by 1,812 testing systems.
In addition, the initiative has provided millions with the benefit of a new sewage
system.
The Integral Hydraulic Program of the State, the only one in Mexico, has created an
innovative formula, which enabled the department to improve service delivery – accomplishing
217 public projects at the speed of one per week. They have also installed
961 kilometers of pipelines and constructed 151 systems for potable water. The programme
has initiated the construction of a macro-circuit for the distribution of potable
water, spanning the distance of 123.5 kilometers, and servicing 2.100 million citizens.
A knowledgeable staff certified for hydraulic services works efficiently, and organizes
awareness contests and exhibitions to educate students about water management.
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