Mexico City betting on a flush

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon warned the mayor of Mexico City this week that the capital could be a rainstorm away from the worst floods in its history. Not good news, given the four-month-long rainy season just started.

Runoff and sewage from 20 million-plus metropolitan residents compete for space in the valley’s aging drainage system. When clogged sewer pipes can’t swallow fast enough, street drains spit up a noxious menudo that flood gutters and intersections.

The national water agency is warning that a major failure of the city’s deep drainage system, a 20-foot wide tunnel built in the 1970s, could cause flooding as high as 16 sickening feet in the historic downtown and at the airport.

The looming disaster carries the stench of politics. Calderon and Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard represent opposing parties of the political right and left, respectively. Public works are a local expense, allowing Calderon to point out the obvious at little cost to him.

Of course, Calderon and his family also live in town, albeit on higher ground than Ebrard, who lives in the lowland neighborhood of La Condesa.

Ebrard shot back that his administration is building four new drainage pumping plants that will allow maintenance crews better access to the deep drainage system by November. After the rains.

Posted by Sam Enriquez and Carlos Martinez in Mexico City

k