Residents of western Mexico warn of contaminated water during Agua KK Fest

A thousand people gathered in Guadalajara's main public square to protest the contaminated water supply, organizing the "Agua KK Fest" with piñatas and costumes shaped like feces. Citizen groups are demanding authorities issue a health alert for tap water that arrives in homes with fecal residues and heavy metals like lead, mercury, and aluminum. They also called for an end to pollution sources and an emergency plan for at least 100 neighborhoods receiving murky, foul-smelling water that has not undergone proper treatment.

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We want clean water, because water is a common good and a human right, not a commodity. We demand recognition of the health impacts and the immediate declaration of health alerts. We want clean water and health now!

"We want clean water, because water is a common good and a human right, not a commodity. We demand recognition of the health impacts and the immediate declaration of health alerts. We want clean water and health now!" exclaimed María González Valencia, a member of the organizing committee, as she read a statement. Neighborhood organizations reported that the contamination problem, which began a couple of years ago, worsened significantly in March. Some areas receive water that is black, brown, or contains sediment, emitting a rotten or rusty odor. To illustrate the severity, residents displayed a "museum" featuring water samples from nearly ninety neighborhoods, showcasing varying degrees of turbidity and contamination.

The Jalisco state Health Secretariat acknowledged the water contamination levels in July, advising residents not to drink it or use it for cooking or brushing teeth. The state government initiated an emergency plan to distribute water jugs and filters to affected communities. In response, citizens have resorted to purchasing purified water jugs for hygiene, bathing, and washing dishes. They have also invested in filters to mitigate the water's turbidity, leading to significant economic strain, according to a representative from the Pueblos Unidos de la Ribera collective.

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Those related to the ingestion of heavy metals, which (later) manifest as liver and kidney damage, cause cancer and leukemia

Arturo Gleason, an academic from the University of Guadalajara, informed EFE that studies by state and scientific organizations have detected fecal matter and bacteria in 200 water samples, contributing to an increase in digestive illnesses. "Those related to the ingestion of heavy metals, which (later) manifest as liver and kidney damage, cause cancer and leukemia," he warned. Attendees at the festival also participated in workshops on water chlorination and building homemade natural filters to reduce contamination and health risks.

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We cannot normalize a city where families receive poor quality water in their homes and, subsequently, have to travel with carafons (jugs) to get drinking water