Yes, people in Mexico have indoor plumbing. In the 1990s, Mexico reported a significant improvement in living conditions compared with the previous two decades. The report demonstrated better access to essential services such as water and indoor plumbing. This was, however, not achieved equally all around the country. Southern Mexico is still significantly lagging.
Why Do Most Toilets In Mexico Lack Seats?
Most Mexican toilets do not have seats due to the following:
Toilets In Mexico Are Sold And Installed Without Seats.
Getting a toilet seat means extra spending. This might seem unnecessary for most citizens, and others look at it as a saving aspect. Moreover, toilet seats are made of porcelain. Mexico has a warm climate, and sitting on cold porcelain to relieve oneself is not very pleasant.
For sanitary considerations, in unisex bathrooms, men do not always make a good aim into the bowl.
It is also sporadic to clean a toilet seat, yet it harbors the most dirt. In addition to that, the seats always end up destroyed anyway. Mexican water has high mineral content. The minerals deposits on the toilets can only be cleaned up by muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid). This gets rid of mineral build-ups but also corrodes the plastic toilet seats.
Why Is Toilet Paper Put In The Trashcan In Mexico?
This is a very confusing and questionable habit, and many tourists often forget to do this. In Mexico, especially the rural areas, there are no drainage pipes that lead the waste to treatment plants. Instead, waste is drained into a septic tank and liquid waste treated and filtered back to the ground while the solid waste is held in the tank. When toilet paper is flushed, it will accumulate in the tank since it breaks down slowly and builds up over time. When this happens, the tank should be properly cleaned out, which is a more complex process.
Does Mexico Have A Water System?
Yes, Mexico has a water system. However, there is a massive problem in the management at the authorities in Mexico City, about 1,504 square kilometers. The task of providing water services and management is a collaboration of Mexico and the Federal District. Their duty is delivering water and operating hydraulic systems and deeper well supplies. Most areas, especially the southern part, do not have access to piped water and depend on water tanks carried in trucks. The main water source is from the good fields and dams like Madin, Magdalena Magdalena River and Tlanenpatla River.
How Does The Water System Work In Mexico?
The water first comes through a small pipe to the meter. These lines are usually carelessly placed and are exposed, sticking up through sidewalks and practically laying on the surface in yards. The water is usually stored in a reservoir called a cistern located under the ground in the house. It is important to note because the public water supply might not have intense pressure, and if you need water in your roof tank, the pump will need to access to pump up.
The cistern is equipped with a float valve, just like in the toilet. Its purpose is to shut off the water from coming in automatically once the tank is full. There are advanced floats that are electronic and alerts the pump.
The pump keeps refilling the roof tank each time you use water in the bathroom, kitchen or anywhere in the house. A good and efficient pump costs about 500 pesos or more. If you hear it making noises, then you need to check it or have an expert who can repair or ask you to replace it. The pump runs by electricity, so a power outage for a while can result in an empty tank.
In most other countries, water pressure from the city water supply is sufficient for water to come out of taps in the house. The water is then pumped to the roof. There is another float valve that lets the pump know when it is full. Both floats are important as they regulate water intake and prevent you from being overcharged when the water overfills the tank past the required amount.
Plastic tanks are preferred to concrete ones since they are cleaner. Always ensure you close the lid tightly to prevent algae and dust.
Water comes from the roof with high pressure when you turn on the tap or shower due to its height and gravity.
I Can’t Get Water In My House?
When there is no water in the house you should check the following as it could be the reason:
1. There is a possibility that your bill is unpaid, and the water to your house has been shut. You should pay your bills on time to avoid inconveniences.
2. Check the cistern. If it is empty, check the lever next to the water meter: maybe someone turned it off. Please turn it on.
3. If the tank is empty, yet the cistern is full, the pump may be broken or not working well. Call a professional to fix it.
4. Your electric float valve in the cistern is faulty and not functioning efficiently.
5. Your float is not working in the tank on the roof. Try shaking your electronic float. It might make it work again, but you should plan on replacing it.
6. Check if the circuit to the pump and floats your electric panel is turned off. If that is the case, turn it on.
Sometimes the management rations water for maintenance, but they will alert the residents to notify them early.
Water Treatment In Mexico
Water treatment comprises gravity sedimentation, alum coagulation, rapid sand filtration, pre-chlorination, and chlorine disinfection. The water is usually treated at its sources before being distributed, and in Mexico, the National Water Commission treats imported Cutzamala River water at the Los Berros treatment plant.
The Federal District, on the other hand, has three treatment plants. They were initially designed to operate on different levels of advanced groundwater treatment, such as removing dissolved gases, iron, and color reduction of hardness, filtration, and chlorination. These plants are in poor condition, and now they can only provide disinfection with chlorine. Other pilot plants are operating small amounts of advanced groundwater treatment, but they are still experimental.
Waste Collection And Disposal In Mexico
There are only one stormwater and wastewater collection system. The system network is over 10,000 kilometers long with 68 pumping stations, many dams, lagoons, regulatory tanks, 111 kilometers of open canals, 42 kilometers of rivers used primarily for drainage, and 118 kilometers of underground collectors and tunnels. Domestic and industrial wastewater discharges are collected in the secondary network and then carried by the primary network into the General Drainage System. The rainy season brings challenges since the area experiences high-intensity storms.
Water Reuse And Recycling
Municipal wastewater, i.e., water generated from domestic use, commercial institutions, and industrial facilities, are mostly reusable. Water reuse activities like industrial use, urban landscaping, recharging groundwater, recreational use, and agricultural irrigation have been effective mechanisms to save and reduce wastage. Wastewater reclamation and reuse scheme are being developed at Lake Texcoco. This is in partnership with programs for flood control and dust reduction.
Why Is Mexican Water Bad?
Even though water purification is done at the source, the distribution system may sometimes allow the water to be contaminated. They sometimes have bacteria and toxins that cause diarrhea in contaminated water supplies, poor sewage systems, or inadequate food handling. For this reason, Mexicans prefer bottled water to tap water. However, for some, their bodies have adapted and grown immune.
Who Controls The Water In Mexico?
Mexico’s National Water Commission is a branch of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, which manages water at the federal level. However, state water commissions also have authority over it.
Why Do Houses In Mexico Have Water Tanks On The Roof?
The water tanks are reservoirs that supply undrinkable water to families, such as those harvested from rain. Some water supplies in Mexico do not pump water in high pressure, hence having the tanks in heights like roofs. This helps to pump water at higher pressure with the aid of gravitational force. This is why most houses are flat on the top: to give room for these water tanks.
Where In Mexico Should I Not Go To?
Mexico is a beautiful country and a tourist destination for many with a vast coastline. Recreational activities like surfing are an attractive norm and beautiful scenery of the Gulf of Mexico’s clear waters. However, some of the most dangerous towns in Mexico that travelers are advised to avoid are Reynosa, Mazatlan, Tepic, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juarez and Obregon, La Paz Tijuana and Acapulco. These areas have more than 200 homicide cases, drug trafficking and violence.
In Conclusion,
Mexico has indoor plumbing. Experiments and innovations to improve this system into the modernized, advanced and efficient are ongoing. Despite the Mexico City Metropolitan Area management’s efforts to supply piped water to all parts, some areas still depend on tankers for supply.
