Mexico City, Mexico

This chapter discusses the history of the hydraulic infrastructure that created the conditions for the modern city, as well as the trade-offs involved in producing the contemporary urban water phenomenon. Subject to increasing threats of flooding, along with drought intensity, Mexico City must contend with the intensification of the water cycle in the context of interannual variability, making predictions somewhat more reliable (especially for droughts), while solutions remain complicated and piecemeal. Complications in water services to the densely populated periphery are combined with water quality crises in the city, as water drawn from aquifers contributes to subsidence, which adds to pipe breakages and leaks. The subsidence adds to the imperviousness of an already developed surface, making pluvial nuisance flooding more acute. In recent years, however, some intrepid architects, designers, and ecologists have presented novel solutions of integrated and holistic water management, developing “water squares” that allow infiltration and filtration of surface runoff, adding the possibility of recycled grey water.