Rosarito will be the first to benefit from the new desalination plant

By Juan Pablo Sebastián

A historic investment has driven major progress in the maintenance of water and sanitation networks, ensuring a stable water supply and ending rationing programs. It has also enabled new projects in drainage, drinking water coverage, and the development of a large-scale desalination plant, explained CESPT director general Jesús García Martínez during a presentation to the Playas de Rosarito Press Club.

One of the most ambitious projects is the proposed desalination plant, which is expected to begin construction next year with the first of several modules. Rosarito will be the first city to receive desalinated water.

“In the first phase, Rosarito would be the municipality benefiting from the supply. Ensenada would follow, and eventually the service will be provided to Tijuana through a reverse flow system, meaning the water will move from Rosarito toward the rest of the cities,” he said.

According to García Castro, work on the first phase is expected to begin within the first three months of 2026 once the bidding process is completed. The full project is projected to take about five years to finish.

“The idea of building in modules is to move faster and begin supplying water gradually. The first module has the capacity to serve all of Rosarito, which would allow us to expand coverage more quickly. The next module will be for Ensenada, followed by Tijuana.”

The CESPT director noted that alongside the progress on the desalination plant, the agency will continue work on complementary infrastructure, including storage tanks, pumping stations, and all necessary piping to deliver desalinated water to households in Rosarito.

“Fortunately, we have secured support from the Mazatlán ejido. We have already signed an agreement for the donation of land that will allow us to install the storage tanks. Those are the good developments—though we also face challenges,” García Castro said, noting that delinquent accounts remain high, at about 40 percent. Only six out of every ten customers pay for their water service.

“It’s important to raise awareness about timely payment, because those resources allow us to continue improving water and drainage services.”

He added that thanks to the historic investments in recent years, the agency has made significant progress in replacing and maintaining outdated water and sanitation lines, as well as eliminating water-rationing schedules.

Regarding drainage, he noted that next year work will begin on the installation of sewer infrastructure in the community of Primo Tapia, with an investment of 60 million pesos.

“In the coming year, we will install drainage for the first phase—the oldest part of the town in the lower area—where a treatment plant will also be built,” he said.

During his presentation, García Castro also addressed issues related to disputed billing, the rehabilitation of treatment plants, and continued progress toward eliminating ocean pollution caused by wastewater, among other topics.