Mexico’s Water Law Hearings Expose Rifts Over Transfers, Renewal Window, Pollution Rules

Overview

• Public hearings in the Chamber of Deputies continued on the presidential draft Ley General de Aguas, drawing input from Conagua, specialists, communities and producers on how to ensure clear, transparent rules.
• Producers objected to proposed bans on transferring water-use rights with land sales, leases or inheritance, warning that Article 22’s limit to a single direct-line heir would disrupt generational succession.
• Agricultural groups and legislators said cutting the concession renewal request period to six months creates legal and credit risks for farms, urging a longer window not tied to water availability.
• Experts called for the law to require polluting companies to meet Norma 001 and fund cleanup of contaminated rivers including the Atoyac, Lerma, Tula, Santiago and Pesquería.
• Participants pressed to legally recognize and bolster community-managed water systems and to clarify that Consejos de Cuenca are coordinating bodies rather than the entities responsible for guaranteeing the human right to water.