Equilibrio de bajo nivel y manejo urbano del aqua en Cananea, Sonora

This article analyzes the conditions and constraints of water management in the city of Cananea, Sonora. In 1999, the mining company transferred the urban water service to the local government, and despite the efforts of the authorities in charge, an adequate level of service has not been achieved. The service's insufficiencies might be characterized as low- level equilibrium, a situation caused by government opportunism, arising because the water officials do not have enough incentives to undertake the required planning, investments, and revenue collection. To overcome this situation, not only has it been proposed to consolidate the services for potable water and sewage collection under the municipal government, but a new institutional framework is also being considered. In addition to assessment and monitoring, it would ensure that appointments of water-service officials would not be politicized and would be subject to performance-based evaluation; establish a system of rates and charging, independent from political decisions; hold officials accountable for reporting; and establish comparative benchmarks.