By Gaby Chávez | 2025-02-26

SAN SALVADOR -- Marta, a street vendor selling "tortillas de pescaditas" (fish tortillas) at the Lake Ilopango, east of San Salvador, frequently walks along the shore, taking advantage of the weekend tourist influx to earn a living.

In recent years, she has watched as Chinese workers arrived in the canton to begin constructing a water treatment plant. The plant will draw water from eight wells currently being drilled.

But since the workers arrived with heavy machinery, she has noticed irregularities, including a decrease in the drinking water supply managed by the National Administration of Aqueducts and Sewers (ANDA), said Marta, who chose not to disclose her last name for fear of reprisals.

"Sometimes I feel like I might as well fetch water from the lake. It feels like we work just to pay a bill of up to $150, and the water doesn't even reach our homes," she told Entorno, frustrated by the increasingly irregular and scarce service.

Amid El Salvador's ongoing water crisis, Chinese company Hebei Construction Group is advancing the water treatment project at Lake Ilopango, in the Joya Grande canton.

The initiative promises to supply drinking water to the northern region of the capital.

Francisco Ramirez, a resident living just meters from the construction site, has witnessed a concerning drop in the water levels of the main rivers that feed the lake.

"When the Chinese started working, they connected their machines upstream to drill the wells using water pressure. They've already completed four, but the river is drying up," Ramírez told Entorno.

Previously, these upper-area rivers were one of the few alternatives for water supply during shortages.

Now, however, their once-flowing currents have been reduced to little more than stones and sand.

Highly contaminated

Part of the problem is that the lake contains high levels of heavy metals, and community members are well aware that it is unsafe for consumption due to its high levels of contamination.

A 2024 study by the University of El Salvador (UES) revealed alarming concentrations of arsenic, chromium and lead, exceeding permitted safety limits.

Researchers conducted tests on water samples taken from both the surface and 20 meters deep at various points in the lake, detecting eight heavy metals. Arsenic was found at the highest concentration -- 34 times the recommended limit for human consumption.

The study notes that because Lake Ilopango is a volcanic caldera, much of its contamination, including arsenic and mercury, originates naturally from magmatic emissions.

Given these conditions, experts have determined that the lake should not be used for tourism, crop irrigation, livestock water supply or fish farming as heavy metals are bioaccumulative.

Despite the risks, people continue to be drawn to the lake's scenic beauty and the economic opportunities provided by local fishing and tourism.

Following the announcement of Hebei Construction Group's water treatment project, researchers have warned authorities about the potential health risks this initiative could pose to the population.

The water treatment plant is being promoted as a solution to provide drinking water for 165,000 people in the capital, despite multiple studies -- including government ones -- confirming that Lake Ilopango's water is not safe for human consumption.

Hebei Construction Group has remained tight-lipped about the purification methods it will use once the project is completed.

The construction is currently 40% complete with delivery expected by 2026. This plant is part of a key Salvadoran government initiative funded by China, with an estimated investment of $40 million and a projected capacity to produce 300 liters of water per second.