Overview
- Lawmakers approved the new General Water Law and changes to the National Waters Law, positioning the State as sole regulator, banning most private transfers of water rights, and asserting access as a human right.
- Transitory clauses give Conagua 180 days to issue regulations, with contentious transmission rules delayed and expedited reassignment in specific cases to be decided within 20 business days.
- Federal officials say the reform will curb hoarding, provide certainty to producers, and maintain dialogue tables, as farm and transport groups declare a temporary pause in nationwide protests.
- The PAN alleges the measure centralizes control, removes the ability to sell or inherit most water rights, could affect over two million producers, and will be challenged in court.
- Experts, including a former Conagua official and IBERO researchers, argue the overhaul leaves the concession system largely intact and lacks clear mechanisms to reassign volumes or penalize large users.