Los Cabos’ Desalination Plant 1 in Cabo San Lucas is offline after a rupture in the 24-inch seawater intake line that feeds the processing facility, OOMSAPAS Los Cabos confirmed September 1. Technical crews are disassembling the damaged hydraulic structure and fabricating specialized stainless steel replacement parts to rebuild the affected section.
Three leak-repair brigades and one electromechanical team are working on site in coordination with the parts supplier. The municipal water authority has not provided a timeline for when normal production will resume.
Water Trucks Deployed to Affected Zones
While repairs are underway, OOMSAPAS Los Cabos is dispatching water tanker trucks at no charge to neighborhoods where the rotating water schedule has been disrupted by the outage. Priority delivery is going to schools, hospitals and areas with the most limited water access.
The agency has not published a list of which specific colonias are experiencing reduced pressure or extended water cuts, but residents in neighborhoods served by Desalination Plant 1 should expect delays in their normal delivery windows until the plant is back online.
Plant Already Operating Below Capacity
The shutdown comes at a time when Los Cabos’ water infrastructure is under strain. Earlier this year, the same Cabo desalination plant was operating at only 36% capacity due to equipment and maintenance issues, and the municipality has been working to expand treatment capacity to meet demand from both residents and the tourism corridor.
Several private developers have proposed building their own desalination plants to ease the municipal supply burden, particularly in areas with large-scale residential and resort construction.
OOMSAPAS has pledged to continue providing updates as repair work progresses. Residents experiencing water service disruptions can contact the agency directly or watch for announcements on the municipal website.
