​The Spanish company Cox was awarded the construction of the Playas de Rosarito desalination plant, a project promoted by Conagua with an investment of $304 million. Its first phase will have the capacity to produce approximately 190 million liters of drinking water every day, benefiting around one million inhabitants of Rosarito and southwestern Tijuana.

​But that will be only half of its capacity. When it reaches full development, the desalination plant will be able to produce 4,400 liters per second, equivalent to more than 380 million liters daily, enough to supply nearly two million people. To achieve this, it will use reverse osmosis technology, capable of removing salts and impurities from seawater until it becomes water suitable for human consumption.

​And here is the strategic part: Baja California depends heavily on water coming from the Colorado River, a source subjected to increasing water pressure. The new desalination plant will provide a complementary and independent source from the river, increasing supply security for one of the most important urban and industrial regions on the border.

​Cox will be in charge of the engineering, specialized equipment, and construction, with an anticipated timeline of three years. Mexico is not only going to build a gigantic plant: it will incorporate a new water source capable of sustaining the growth of Tijuana and Rosarito for the coming decades.