Tag Archives: water issues in Mexico

November 21, 2023 · 6:49 am

Up the Hill to Fetch a Pail of Water

Although we were all gung-ho to get some estimates for the sewer hookup, the powers that be in the presidencia told us that we needed to focus on the water project first. As they were willing to entertain the idea of legalizing the illegal pozo (well) that Chuchi commissioned and then sued us over, we needed to reexamine the perforation. 

After the well was closed by the water commission and the lawsuits ran their course, we made a sort of roof to cover the open hole to the abyss. This was to prevent any animals or humans from falling to their deaths and give some measure of protection to the tubes that were installed in the event we could make use of it sometime in the unforeseeable future. That was done about 10 years ago. 

In November, we commissioned a well study that involved uncovering the site, taking depth measurements, and dropping a camera down the hole to see its condition. Unfortunately, someone deliberately threw a boulder down the well, and it was lodged about 100 feet down, so the well study company could not get accurate readings. Three guesses on who I suspect of doing the dastardly deed. 

This well study, which isn’t useable as it is incomplete, cost 7000 pesos. We’ll need someone to come out to clear the boulder and clean any debris at the bottom of the well. The estimate for that job is about 90,000 pesos. Next, a new study will need to be done (another 7000 pesos), and then a water quality and quantity study to see if the water table can handle a drain on it at that location, and that will be about another 13,000 pesos. 

The total expense would only be about 200 pesos per lot, divided equally among the property owners. However, as we discovered with the demanda (lawsuit), not even half paid the 250 pesos that saved our properties from repossession.  And as we have a small window of opportunity to take advantage of the presidencia’s offer to legalize (next year being an election year and all), we can’t wait for the grumblers and chin pullers to open their wallets and pay up.

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Curious about how it all began? Check out La Yacata Revolution: How NOT to Buy a Piece of Heaven in Mexico.

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June 15, 2017 · 7:00 am

A room of her own–Waterfall in the kitchen?

I have to admit that the little house in Sunflower Valley to being a bit lacking in several aspects. First, the floor is white tile. Who in their right mind would use white tile? It is NEVER clean.

Then there are the holes in the roof. It leaks in 3 of the 4 rooms. I can see the sky through some of the holes. And while we are in the dry season and the holes shouldn’t be an issue, this week they became an issue when the floater on the tinaco (water storage container) on the roof went caput. So when the new load of water came gushing in from the street, the tinaco overflowed and it came gushing down on our heads in the kitchen, along with chunks of the ceiling.

Ceiling holes

Ceiling holes

So there we were wading in the new waterfall, making the floor far from shiny white. Stopping the cascade required pliers and some guessing. Which would turn the water off from the street and which would turn off the water for the entire street? Well, no one complained, so I guess we got the right one.

As I really didn’t want this to be a constant issue,  it needed to be fixed. My husband came and looked it over. We had recently bought 2 new tinacos (water storage containers) each of which came with floaters which we don’t use because we don’t have running water. (See Water Woes) The tinacos are filled with rain water or from the water delivery truck. When they are full, we close the lid of the tinaco. No floater needed. Anyway, he brought that piece over and went to work.

The old floater.

The old floater.

It required draining the tinaco, so he left the water on, and did other things. A short time later, it was fixed, so he turned the water back on to fill the tank and went home. He came back later to check on things, and the bathroom was flooded. Apparently, the water pressure from the now working tinaco was too much for the toilet pipes. It had flown out of the wall connection and the house was flooded, again.

This attachment just shot right out of the wall.

This attachment just shot right out of the wall.

So the tianco was drained yet again. I can’t WAIT to see this water bill. When the copper tubes were dry, he blowtorched the pieces together. Then the floater in the toilet broke. That required a new piece, which he went and got and replaced. Then the hose from the toilet tank to the wall pipe broke. Another trip for a new piece and replacement.

Finally, after 2 days of effort, the toilet and tinaco were fixed. Now we don’t have to bucket flush anymore.

Of course, these are things I have brought up several times to the owner. It even prompted a trip to Yuriria, well that and the leftover water charges from the previous tenant that she said were taken care of. With the repairs done, another trip was in order.  Unfortunately, we didn’t find anyone home, although we did pick up some fruit trees from a guy selling them from his wheelbarrow for 15 pesos each.

So I called and explained that I would only be paying $600 pesos this month for rent.  That was fine with the landlady.  What else could she say?  And she seemed all interested in getting the roof fixed, which was my next item on the repair list.

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February 21, 2014 · 3:29 pm

You can lead a horse to water (electric and sewage) but you can’t make it drink

leading a horse to water

After the junta (community meeting) in November, interest in the advancement of La Yacata into the 19th century died a swift and lonely death.   There was a mad rush of lots sold at rock bottom prices as colonos (community members) divested themselves of what they now considered dead weight.

Unfortunately, these new owners have not bothered to register their lots in order to get a change of ownership certificate, probably because we charge $100 pesos to print a new certificate, all of which goes towards sending volantes (flyers) and radio announcements for the next junta (meeting).  So since there is currently no money in La Yacata treasury, and I should know because I’m the tesorera (treasurer), there are no funds to convoke the next community meeting.  And this is a problem.

Of the encuestas (surveys) we sent out to assess interest in having the water, sewer, electric and road paving done, there have been only 10 returned.  The majority of these are from those of us that actually live in La Yacata and really have a vested interest in getting things done.

Super Prez has also taken a giant step backward in his involvement and has been concentrating on more lucrative projects.  And really, who can blame him?  La Yacata has cost him time and money that he could have put to good use elsewhere and given him nothing in return.  And furthermore,  he doesn’t live in La Yacata.  He has running water, sewer, and electric where he lives, so it’s not a daily issue for him.

So basically, we were at the point of actually moving forward and it all fell apart. So what happened?  We were honest with the estimate of $50,000 per lot and it seemed too much for property owners.  Would a lie have served us better?  Perhaps initially, but down the line we would have found ourselves in the same category of Chuchi and that wasn’t an option, for me anyway.

I learned an important lesson in all this.  There is no community if its members refuse to participate.  My desire for organization and advancement is not enough to unite more than 400 individuals, no matter how much I want it.  And that’s a shame really.

So what happens next?  Well, I can’t speak for the rest of the community, but it is our goal to start saving for a solar power system.  I very much doubt that we will be able to save enough this year, or even next year since installation depends on our first finishing the roof on the second floor, but there it is.  After all, as Bloody Mary says in South Pacific

“Happy talk, keep talkin’ happy talk,
Talk about things you’d like to do.
You got to have a dream,
If you don’t have a dream
How you gonna have a dream come true?”

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