Journal · Buying
Buying a lot with a well after the 2025 water reform
Since December 2025, a well concession no longer passes to the buyer with the land: CONAGUA reassigns it under a new title. What that means, and what to ask the seller.
Buying
General information, not legal or tax advice. Figures as of October 2026; confirm them with a Mexican notary before you sign.
All articles —On many lots around Todos Santos, El Pescadero and Cerritos, the water comes from a well. A reform of the National Waters Law, published on December 11, 2025, changed what happens to that well when the land is sold.
What changed
Water concessions can no longer be transferred from one owner to the next. When a property with a concession is sold, CONAGUA reassigns the water under a new title to the new owner (article 37 BIS 1). The well does not disappear, but the paperwork is no longer a simple transfer.
Why it matters here
The Todos Santos aquifer already has a negative availability in CONAGUA's published figures: more water is extracted than recharges. In an over-drafted aquifer, new concessions are hard to obtain, so an existing, valid concession is part of what you are paying for.
What to ask the seller
- The concession title: who holds it, the authorised annual volume and its expiry date.
- Proof that the extraction has been reported and the fees paid.
- Whether the well serves only this lot or is shared.
- How long CONAGUA is taking to issue the new title, and whether the contract makes the sale conditional on it.
If there is no well
Ask whether there is a municipal connection at the road, what the neighbours rely on, and budget for a cistern and water deliveries.
Read Water in Todos Santos: the honest picture, and the rest of the checks in the Buyer's Guide.
En muchos lotes de Todos Santos, El Pescadero y Cerritos el agua viene de un pozo. Una reforma a la Ley de Aguas Nacionales, publicada el 11 de diciembre de 2025, cambió lo que pasa con ese pozo cuando se vende el terreno.
Qué cambió
Las concesiones de agua ya no se pueden transmitir de un dueño a otro. Cuando se vende una propiedad con concesión, CONAGUA reasigna el agua con un título nuevo al nuevo dueño (artículo 37 BIS 1). El pozo no desaparece, pero el trámite ya no es una simple transmisión.
Por qué importa aquí
El acuífero de Todos Santos ya tiene disponibilidad negativa en las cifras publicadas por CONAGUA: se extrae más agua de la que se recarga. En un acuífero sobreexplotado las concesiones nuevas son difíciles de obtener, así que una concesión vigente es parte de lo que estás pagando.
Qué preguntarle al vendedor
- El título de concesión: a nombre de quién está, el volumen anual autorizado y su vigencia.
- Comprobantes de que la extracción se ha reportado y los derechos se han pagado.
- Si el pozo sirve sólo a este lote o es compartido.
- Cuánto está tardando CONAGUA en emitir el título nuevo, y si el contrato condiciona la venta a ello.
Si no hay pozo
Pregunta si hay toma municipal en la calle, de qué dependen los vecinos, y presupuesta cisterna y pipas.
Lee El agua en Todos Santos: el panorama honesto, y el resto de las revisiones en la Guía del comprador.
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