Mexico invests US $60 million to restore Lake Pátzcuaro
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The National Water Commission is investing 1.1 billion pesos, or US $60 million, into the Lake Pátzcuaro Sanitation Plan to restore the environmental health of a major body of water in western Mexico.
This project is part of the Plan Michoacán for Peace and Justice and aims to protect a region rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage for the Indigenous Purépecha people.
Agricultural, industrial, and domestic activities have degraded the lake's water quality through the discharge of untreated wastewater and the excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers. To combat this, workers are renovating six wastewater treatment plants in locations such as Las Garzas and Quiroga while building four new plants in areas including San Juan Tumbio and Ihuatzio. The project also involves reconditioning more than 116 kilometers of sanitary sewer lines and rehabilitating 10 area wetlands.
President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo visited the Quiroga Wastewater Treatment Plant to inspect the progress of the rehabilitation. The government says the sanitation plan will provide more efficient hydraulic and sanitary infrastructure for over 142,000 residents in the municipalities of Pátzcuaro, Tzintzuntzan, Quiroga, and Erongarícuaro. Additionally, the Michoacán government stated the project will support economic growth for Indigenous communities on the islands of Janitzio, Tecuena, La Pacanda, and Yunuén, as well as for lakeshore towns that rely on fishing and tourism.
