Overview

• The Chamber of Deputies formally received the presidential initiative via Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez and sent it for publication in the Gaceta Parlamentaria.
• Floor presentation is planned for the Oct. 14 session, with referral to commissions and a general and particular debate expected in the last week of October.
• The draft defines water as a public good, ends private transfers of water rights, empowers Conagua to reclaim and reassign misused concessions, and creates a National Integrated Water Management System with a National Water Registry and reserve.
• New offenses labeled as water crimes would bring fines up to 50,000 UMA (about 5 million pesos) and prison terms of up to 12 years for acts such as illicit diversion, unauthorized transport, meter tampering, and corruption tied to concessions.
• The proposal centers the human right to water by prioritizing domestic use, universal and affordable access, stronger treatment and sanitation infrastructure, and measures like mandatory rainwater capture in building codes.