Water treatment and reuse in Ciudad Juárez

The Junta Municipal de Agua y Saneamiento de Juárez (JMAS) reported that its treatment plants processed 52,080,382 cubic meters of water between January and July 2026. This effort is intended to increase water resource reuse in the desert region.

According to Karina Cruz, Head of Sanitation at JMAS, the city utilizes seven treatment plants that adhere to Conagua standards, specifically NOM 001 and NOM 003. Due to infrastructure expansion and high administration volumes, Ciudad Juárez is currently ranked among the top five cities in Mexico for water reuse. The largest facilities include the Sur plant (2,000 liters per second), the Norte plant (1,600 liters per second), and Valle de Juárez (500 liters per second), while smaller capacity plants operate in Anapra, Parque Central, Villa Hermosa, and Laguna de Patos.

As of October 2026, JMAS has expanded its treated water network, referred to as the ‘purple line’, to approximately 400 kilometers. This marks a 300-kilometer increase since 2019. This expansion is part of the ‘No la riegues’ program, which aims to promote responsible water use. The network currently serves more than 150 residential developments and approximately 1,000 public parks, allowing for the irrigation of green spaces without consuming potable water. Officials noted that using treated water helps save potable water and has contributed to improved pressure in certain sectors.

In addition to infrastructure growth, the municipal government is advancing environmental sustainability through community education. At the Vivero de El Chamizal, recent training sessions have taught residents how to transform household organic waste into natural compost to improve soil quality. Future modules of this program are scheduled to focus on urban forestry and tree planting strategies.