Report: Nearly all Mexico drinking water

     MEXICO CITY Ninety-five percent of Mexico's fresh water supply is contaminated, and 25 percent of the country's water treatment plants operate inadequately, according to a recent report that listed other scary statistics. 

According to a report published by El Economista, only 5 percent of the country's fresh water supply is pollutant-free, while 22 percent has an "acceptable" level of pollutants and 49 percent has a low level of contamination.  The remaining 24 percent is highly polluted and contains toxic substances, the publication said.

The advisor on water and coastal regions for the United Nations Environment Program, Oscar Ramirez, warned that if action is not taken to deal with the current situation, the country could face a serious water supply problem within 10 years, the article said.

Other statistics included:

Almost half of the water extracted each year from aquifers, rivers and other water sources is lost due to aging infrastructure

About 40 percent of the 72 billion cubic meters of water taken each year from the country's water sources is lost to leaks and careless consumption

Some 96 of the country's 653 aquifers drain faster than they can replenish themselves, a serious problem since they provide half the water consumed in the country

Out of the country's 1,018 regional water treatment plants, 225 do not operate properly because of a lack of resources

Thirteen million Mexicans do not have access to potable water and another 27 million lack proper drainage systems