DistantNews
Support us
Mexico dam's foul odor prompts resident complaints
🇲🇽 Mexico /Environment & Climate

Mexico dam's foul odor prompts resident complaints

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Residents of Tecamachalco, Naucalpan, Mexico, are complaining about unbearable foul odors emanating from the San Joaquín Dam.
  • They have requested intervention from national and Mexico City water authorities to address the persistent stench, which they describe as smelling like excrement.
  • The residents attribute the smell to decomposition processes in stagnant water, exacerbated by runoff from surrounding areas, and are calling for improved management of the dam which spans multiple municipalities.

Residents in Tecamachalco, Naucalpan, are suffering from a persistent and unbearable stench originating from the San Joaquín Dam. The foul odor, described by local association president Jesús Cabrera as "classic excrement smell," has made daily life miserable, forcing residents to keep their windows and doors shut.

Being seated in the living room of the house is not pleasant at all. You sit in the living room and the smell is there. You get up to eat and it's still there. It's not for moments, it's permanent; [the smell] enters the houses. It's the classic smell of excrement.

— Jesús CabreraPresident of the Environment Commission of the Tecamachalco Residents Association, describing the persistent odor.

Cabrera explained that the smell intensifies after a few days without rain, as stagnant water begins to decompose. Runoff from areas like Tacubaya and La Herradura contributes to the problem. He criticized the authorities for neglecting the dam, stating it "damages the citizens' heritage."

After three or four days without rain, the stagnant water begins to settle, decomposition processes increase, and the smell spreads throughout the area.

— Jesús CabreraExplaining the cause of the intensifying smell.

The dam's location, spanning parts of the State of Mexico and Mexico City, requires coordinated management. While efforts were made eight years ago to separate wastewater, Cabrera noted that some areas still have open channels where waste mixes with rainwater, contributing to the pollution and odor. Residents are urging the National Water Commission (Conagua) and the Mexico City Secretariat for Integral Water Management (Segiagua) to intervene.

The lack of attention to the dam by the authorities is 'damaging the citizens' heritage.'

— Jesús CabreraCriticizing the authorities' inaction.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog