MEXICO · POWER AND WATER
Key Facts
- The utility CFE, Mexico’s state electricity company, powers the wells that feed Saltillo’s water network.
- What happened Its director told Mexico’s lower house of Congress that faults hit Saltillo’s wells.
- The count CFE found 373 faults around 108 wells and had dealt with 205 of them.
- Still open 168 faults remained, and 16 priority wells in southern Saltillo awaited inspection.
- The scale In September, outages adding up to about 10 days hit about 200 neighbourhoods.
Mexico’s state electricity company, the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), has admitted that faults in its network hit the water wells of Saltillo. Its director general, Emilia Esther Calleja Alor, gave the figures to the Chamber of Deputies, Mexico’s lower house of Congress, at a hearing reported on 5 November 2026.
She said inspections of the power supply to 108 wells found 373 faults, and 205 had been dealt with. For US readers with business or family ties to northern Mexico, it shows how a weak grid can switch off the water of a city such as Saltillo, the capital of Coahuila state.
What Happened in September
In September 2026 power failures at the wells that feed Saltillo’s water network left many neighbourhoods with little or no water. A report of 12 September said the interruptions added up to about 10 days and that about 200 colonias, as Mexican neighbourhoods are called, were affected.
Saltillo’s mayor, Javier Díaz González, questioned why a failure that began over a weekend stayed unresolved until the following Friday, and asked whether CFE lacked spare parts or equipment. He said CFE confirmed on a Thursday night that the wells were back at full power, but that water would take days to recover.
Aguas de Saltillo, the city’s water utility, has said service suffered in the south, centre and west of the city because of interruptions in CFE power. Protests were also held at CFE’s premises in Saltillo.
What CFE Told Deputies
The hearing was part of the Glosa, the review in which officials answer lawmakers’ questions on President Claudia Sheinbaum’s second government report. Calleja said that “a few months ago we had a fairly important emergency” in Saltillo.
The account of the hearing says the problems lay both in CFE’s grid and in the internal installations of some wells. Mayor Díaz González said the hearing acknowledged maintenance shortcomings.
What CFE Found in the Network
CFE said it reviewed the power supply to 108 wells, 53 of them priority wells, and inspected four medium-voltage circuits, the power lines that carry electricity from substations to local networks, tied to them. That work found 373 anomalies in the electrical network.
The causes named were tree pruning needs, damaged lightning arresters (devices that protect power lines from surges), equipment needing replacement and short circuits. At the time of the hearing 205 anomalies had been dealt with and 168 were pending.
Of the 53 priority wells, 37 had been supervised. The other 16, all in southern Saltillo, still needed inspection, and tours to diagnose them were being scheduled.
What It Means for You
For readers with a business or family in Saltillo, the lesson is that the water supply depends on the electricity grid that feeds the pumps. A fault in one can leave neighbourhoods dry for days.
The mayor said coordination between CFE and the city has improved since the crisis, and he hopes such outages will not recur. He also counted more than 200 CFE interruptions in recent months, which is his own count.
What Is Not Known
The exact date of the hearing is not stated in the accounts of it. We also do not know when the remaining 168 faults and the 16 southern wells will be dealt with.
Reports differ on how long September’s outage lasted, with some describing almost two weeks and others about 10 days. The number of people affected is not confirmed.
More: Mexico news in English, every day from The Rio Times. Read also our report on CFE seeking US$1 billion from investors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is CFE?
CFE is the Comisión Federal de Electricidad, Mexico’s state electricity company. Its director general is Emilia Esther Calleja Alor.
Why Did Saltillo Lose Water in September 2026?
Power failures at the wells that feed the city’s water network left many neighbourhoods with little or no water. A report of 12 September said the interruptions added up to about 10 days.
How Many Faults Did CFE Find Near Saltillo’s Wells?
CFE told the Chamber of Deputies it found 373 anomalies in the network serving 108 wells. It had dealt with 205 of them, and 168 were pending.
Is the Problem Fixed?
Not fully, according to the figures given at the hearing. The mayor hopes such outages will not recur, but 168 faults and 16 priority wells were still open then.
Sources: Statements by CFE’s director general at the Chamber of Deputies hearing, reported 5 November 2026; statements by Saltillo’s mayor, 12 September and 6 November 2026; Aguas de Saltillo.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief