Our water is not unlimited!

Fresh water is fast becoming the number one environmental issue in Mexico and the USA. Internet and newsprint reports come out with alarming frequency addressing the rivers that once roared and now trickle, dried up lake beds, farms turning to dust, water rationing or NO water at all. All members share a responsibility to use water wisely and carefully. The time to conserve is NOW!

For 2022, the annual fee has been increased from $330 to $365 per year. We’re fighting to keep our license active with the federal water authority, and that requires a sharp increase in legal fees. If we don’t keep our license, our community will be without water. This is not a discretionary expense.

The limit each member may use has been reduced from 280 gallons to 250 gallons per day. We operate under a license issued by CONAGUA which clearly defines how much water we can pump out of the aquifer each year. We are rapidly approaching that limit as new construction in our community continues at a record pace placing increased demands on the “same bucket.” If we go over the license limit, there are penalties and the cost we pay the government for water will go up. And we risk losing our license. We will also act to curb persistent over-users because our community, and our license, can no longer afford it.

If you have both LMWC and a municipal service, use CESP/E or CESP/T whenever possible. Switch to La Misión Water Company only when your municipal service is not available.

We have changed our eligibility requirements for new applicants. We have a limited number of new service contracts that we can award going forward because of CONAGUA’s license restrictions. We will award contracts to applicants who demonstrate they are responsible residents. Here are the changes:

• To get water, new applicants must be members of LMPOA and keep current on dues.
• For new construction, applicants must get a valid building permit from Control Urbano and approval of architectural plans by LMPOA’s Property Development Committee (PDC).
• We will no longer award new service contracts to applicants that already have municipal service from CESP/E or CESP/T.
• Members persistently over-using water run the risk of losing their membership privilege.
• Water will not be provided to mobile homes or factory-built homes (e.g., double-wides).
• There is a moratorium on awarding new service contracts outside the Stocker community.

Last year, we made key upgrades to increase reliability and conserve our most valuable resource:

In 2021, we upgraded security at all our four facilities. We added lighting, security alarms, and video surveillance at our well building and at Pilas 1 and 2 on eastern Ugarte’s high plateau. And we fenced in Pilas 3 and 4 on Francisco Palau. We cannot afford to lose water, or equipment, due to vandalism.

In September 2021, we installed a generator at the well. During the storm that occurred on Tuesday 14 December 2021, power went off mid-day in our community. And it went off in Santa Anita as well but didn’t come back on until 24 hours later, on Wednesday afternoon. The only reason you had water is that we installed a generator that starts automatically when CFE power drops out. Good news for fire season.

We wish you a happy, healthy, and safe New Year,

Your Board of Directors, La Misión Water Company