By THE PULSE NEWS STAFF

Mexico’s National Water Commission (Conagua) announced that, despite some setbacks installing a key part of the tubing needed to replace the damaged sections of the Cutzamala water system, initial water service for Mexico City and the State of Mexico (Edoméx) was reinstated at 8:05 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4, when the pumps that supply the areas were turned back on.

Because most of the Mexico City’s and Edoméx’s reserves were drained during the cutoff, which began on Wednesday, Oct. 31, Conagua said that it will take several days before full service is returned to all areas, but that most regions affected will begin to receive water by the end of the day.

Conagua cut off water service for five days in order to conduct maintenance operations at its Cutzamala treatment plant, which supplies drinking water to most of the Mexican capital and surrounding areas.

The Mexico City areas that were affected by the service suspension were the precincts of Álvaro Obregón, Azcapotzalco, Benito Juárez, Coyoacán, Cuajimalpa, Cuauhtémoc, Iztacalco, Iztapalapa, Magdalena Contreras, Miguel Hidalgo, Tláhuac, Tlálpan and Venustiano Carranza.

The water shutoff was 100 percent in Miguel Hidalgo, Cuauhtémoc, Cuajimalpa and Álvaro Obregón.

In the State of Mexico, the municipalities affected were Toluca, Metepec, Huixquilucan, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Ecatepec, Naucalpan, Tlalnepantla, Tultitlán, Coacalco, Netzahualcóyotl, Chimalhuacán and parts of La Paz.

Conagua said that the maintenance process affected about 4.5 million residents of Mexico City and 3.6 million in people Edoméx.

It also said that now that the maintenance service is completed at the Cutzamala plant, barring any major contingencies such as an earthquake or other unforeseen disaster, there should be no water shortages or supply cutoffs in Mexico City for at least one more year.