Shortages, War and Social Inequality. The Modernization Project of the Water Supply System of a Mexican City: Puebla from the 17th to the 20th Century

Abstract

The constant scarcity of potable water documented throughout the history of Puebla underlines the persistence of unequal patterns of water distribution associated with diverse populations and urban models. The purpose of this article is to analyze the domestic water distribution system in the city over a four-hundred year period in order to postulate the existence of various urban poverty levels, measured as a function of the water supply systems in place. A first phase appeared in the colonial era, when the shortage of water was constantly documented. This also partly shaped the city’s population growth rate since demographic behavior became associated with the risk and vulnerability brought on by water shortage, which are characteristics of pre-industrial cities. By the mid-nineteenth century the traditional water transport system was modified, a process that led to its dependence on modern technology-tied industrialization. By the start of 20^th century efforts to grant “water for all” became part of an urban discourse of social welfare but also responded to the demands of the local economy. While municipal authorities sought to maintain water supply, a high degree of social inequality characterized the strategies of distribution and appropriation of the resource. This casts doubt on the efficiency of the process and the sustainability of the system in meeting the needs of a growing population.