Mexico City's 21 million residents are facing a severe water shortage

MEXICO CITY — The most populous city in North America is in the grips of a severe water crisis, as lingering drought and years of low rainfall push the already-strained system that supplies Mexico City with running water to its limit.

More than 21 million residents across the Mexico City metropolitan area have endured weeks of water shortages, with local authorities imposing rations as reservoirs hit historic low levels.

Olga González, a 50-year-old housewife who lives in the neighborhood of Coyoacán, said local officials have been using tanker trucks to supply running water to residents in the area, but there just isn’t enough.

“Sometimes it takes four or five days for the trucks to arrive,” González said.