The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico and Israeli Mekorot Group signed a cooperation agreement for the development of strategies for the protection of groundwater quality in Mexico.

Mekorot Group will assist Mexico to improve water quality, protect its water resources, and restore its aquifers.

The Cooperation agreement between Mekorot Group and CONAGUA (the Mexican national water commission) was signed in presence of the President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres and the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto.

First stage in the cooperation will include review and recommendations for the purification of aquifers, which its estimated cost is NIS 20 million ($5.55 million) . In the second phase, several pilot projects will be carried out in order to prove the treatment processes. Eventually, treatment facilities themselves will be established in the country.

Mekorot Group and the Water Committee of Mexico chose 10 subterranean water reservoirs that represent a variety of infections and decreases in water quality – salinization, manmade inorganic infections, waste water overloading, pollution in rural areas due to seepage of pesticides and oil pollution or infections in strategic areas of gas utilization.

Mekorot Group will diagnose the causes of infection in the selected groundwater reservoirs, determine if the infections are reversible and will recommend strategies for rehabilitation. Specialists from the group will also be asked to determine whether after the strategies implementation water consumption will be possible or cleansing processes will also be required. Mekorot will also offer CONAGUA several options for chemical and biological rehabilitation of the reservoirs.

Additionally, the agreement will conclude briefing of experts, staff and factors related to CONAGUA by Mekorot in areas related to the groundwater quality.

The cooperation agreement was signed by Shimon Ben Hamo, CEO of Mekorot and David Kornfeld, Mexican National Water Commission chairman. The signing took place yesterday in Mexico in presence of the President of Israel, Shimon Peres, and the President of Mexico, Mr. Enrique Pena Nieto, as part of a cooperation agreement signed between the two countries.

 

Mekorot has commercialized some of the water technologies it has developed

Mexico, one of the world’s largest oil exporters, has enacted the National Water act in the country only in 2006, and in 2012 authorized by special order The National Water Commission – CONAGUA ,on purpose for monitoring the water resources of the country.

Mekorot also provides 80% of Israel’s drinking water and 70% of total water consumption in the country.