However, since non-payment of water bills leads to the suspension of the service, the Constitutional Court ruled that water is an essential right and that under no circumstances can it be deprived of a person, so companies must guarantee a minimum subsistence of water per day. The public interest, represented by the need for water as an essential good, is satisfied by the establishment and maintenance of the service provided by the supply. Consequently, the introduction of measures intended to ensure the proper functioning of that service, as has been pointed out, cannot be regarded as contrary to that public interest. However, access to safe drinking water is a right enshrined in Article 4 of the Mexican Constitution: « Everyone has the right to access, dispose of and clean water for personal and domestic use in an adequate, healthy, acceptable and affordable manner. » Can my water be cut off if I don`t pay the bill? Photo: Getty/LisaValder An unexpected water outage is worrisome, always seems to come at the most inopportune time, and worries us. This can have several causes: because there has been a breakdown in the water supply system; for maintenance work on this network or for non-payment of water consumption charges. Each case is different and we will therefore have to act differently. « Non-performance of the contract for a period of several months or repeatedly, or in matters that seriously affect the Company or third parties, allows the Company to terminate the contract and terminate the service. The uniform conditions shall indicate the reasons for the failure to fulfil obligations which led to the termination of the contract. » Water supply may be suspended by public utilities in the following cases: In order to alleviate these situations of extreme distress, social action mechanisms have been put in place. Public and private companies providing urban water supply services in Spain have for years received subsidies, usually included in the water tariff and the Solidarity Fund, aimed at guaranteeing access to resources for the most disadvantaged groups: the unemployed, the elderly, large families or low-income families. The development of these social instruments has gone hand in hand with the difficult economic situation of recent years. According to Animal Politico, the dams of the Kutzamala system have 50% of the water stored, while the average is 72.6%; As a result, authorities expect water cuts and outages in Mexico City and the State of Mexico.
But is it legal to cut off water in these and other circumstances? Here`s what we`re going to explain. From the public water network, they engage in a management model in which water reduction does not occur due to non-payment, if the municipal council of social services justifies the insolvency of the subscriber. In these cases, the cost of delivery according to the network model is borne by a social fund, which is however invoiced to the winning company. Provide 50 liters of water per day for each person living in the house. Another reason why many people are surprised by an unexpected interruption in the water supply is that the service fee is not paid. Can the domestic water supply be interrupted in case of non-payment? In both cases, the water supply is suspended, that is, there is an interruption of execution, but if there is a suspension, the contract remains in force only that it is suspended until the user pays what he owes. Usually, utilities warn in advance, but there are many cases where this is not the case and some people suddenly see that the water does not reach their homes. We will not talk about those who can pay, but do not want to pay, for whom the measure is fair, but about those who, due to certain circumstances, cannot afford to pay for the service. Water supply is an essential public service that is not free and for which the user must pay, and if the user does not, it is likely that the water company will suspend or restrict the water service or supply. `However, those advantages, which are intended to guarantee citizens a minimum level of subsistence water, cannot be understood as authorising users not to comply with the payment obligation arising from the public service contract.
Therefore, on the basis of reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Court held that, if a subscriber cannot terminate the water supply and asks him to guarantee its integrity, he has the right to access the minimum quantity of liquid, equivalent to 50 litres per day per person, without prejudice to its obligations not to carry out illegal reconnections and to seek all means of regulating the legislation. debts to society ». The annual winter termination program continued until March 15, 2022, avoiding power or gas outages for some households, including seniors or low-income families. Regarding the suspension of the service, there is also a reduction in the water supply, but in this case, the contract is still in force and remains suspended until the user pays the bills he owes. I am the owner of a house, I have not received annual rent and they have not paid 5 periods of water that I have to do for the company that provides the water supply to take a measure of suspension or restriction of service. Note that I have already initiated a process of restitution of the property. In Mexico City, they can`t cut off the water supply completely, but they can limit it. In the event of a deadline for non-payment, if, within 3 months from the deadline, the outstanding income has not been paid by the person paid, the contract will be terminated, without prejudice to the fact that the supplier company may claim payment of the debt and compensation for any reasonable damage that may have occurred.