/

Journal · Town

Water in Todos Santos: the honest picture

Aquifer, wells, municipal supply and cisterns. What each area relies on and what to ask a seller.

Read — 8 min read
The La Cachora oasis, fed by the Sierra de la Laguna
The La Cachora oasis, fed by the Sierra de la LagunaPhoto: Ana Rodríguez Carrington · Wikimedia · CC BY 2.0
03

Town

Aquifer figures are CONAGUA's published averages and change with each update. Before buying, confirm the water situation of the specific lot with the seller's documents and the local water office.

All articles —

Where the water comes from

Todos Santos exists because of water. The palm grove and the orchards grow on an oasis fed by runoff from the Sierra de la Laguna, which sinks into the ground and moves slowly toward the coast. Almost every tap in town, from the centre to Cerritos, ultimately draws on that underground water: the Todos Santos aquifer and, to the south, the El Pescadero aquifer.

The numbers, plainly

CONAGUA, the federal water authority, publishes an average annual availability for each aquifer. For Todos Santos the latest figure is negative, about −3 million cubic metres a year: more water is being extracted than the aquifer receives on average. El Pescadero is listed just above zero, roughly balanced. Negative does not mean the wells are dry; it means the margin is gone and new concessions are hard to obtain. Dry years widen the gap, and a good hurricane season narrows it.

How houses get water

  • Municipal network. The centre and older neighborhoods have a connection from the local water office. Supply is scheduled, not continuous, so every house has a cistern and a rooftop tank (tinaco) with a pump.
  • Private well. Common in Las Tunas, La Pastora, El Pescadero and on larger lots. A well needs a concession from CONAGUA to be legal, and concessions in an over-drafted aquifer are not granted freely. A well without paperwork is a risk, not an asset.
  • Shared well. Developments and gated communities often run one concession and distribute to the lots. Ask who holds the concession and what the monthly fee covers.
  • Water truck (pipa). Outer lots and some beach areas rely on deliveries into the cistern. Workable, but budget for it, and know that in a busy season trucks run late.
  • Desalination. A few developments near the coast run small plants. They work, at a cost in electricity and maintenance.

Quality

Well water near the coast can be brackish, and hardness is common everywhere. Most houses filter for drinking or buy bottled water (garrafones). A softener protects heaters and fixtures; a reverse-osmosis tap covers the kitchen.

What to ask a seller

  • Where does the water come from: municipal, own well, shared well or truck?
  • If there is a well: the concession title, its volume, its expiry date and who holds it.
  • If municipal: the account number and paid receipts, and how often supply arrives.
  • The size of the cistern, and the age of the pump and tank.
  • For a lot: whether a connection exists at the road, or the neighbors' experience drilling and the depth they reached.
  • Whether the community has rules on water use, gardens and pools.

Living with it

The people who are happiest here plant native gardens, size their pools with care, harvest the roof in September and treat water as the thing that lets the oasis exist. A house that respects that is also the easier one to sell later.

More

From the Journal

Questions about a property?

We put you in touch with the local broker and help you ask the right questions before you decide.

Explore properties Contact —