Utilities on a country lot: water, power and drainage

A country lot — "lote campestre" in Spanish, a larger, low-density lot outside the urban footprint — solves water in three ways: a development network, a well with a CONAGUA concession, or a water truck and cistern; power through a CFE contract or a solar system; and drainage through a municipal network, a septic tank or a biodigester. Drilling a well requires a federal concession under article 20 of the National Water Law.

Key facts

• Using well water requires a federal government concession (art. 20, National Water Law).
• That concession is recorded in the National Public Water Registry, REPNA (art. 3, section XLIV).
• Frosts in Saltillo are frequent from November to February, per the 2016 IMSS study.
• The highest probability of frost in Saltillo is in January and February, same source.
• A lot with no drainage network is solved with a septic tank or biodigester, not direct discharge to the ground.

Where can water come from on a country lot?

There are three possible sources, and not every development offers all of them:

• Development network: the subdivision supplies water through its own infrastructure, similar to an urban network.
• Private well: requires a concession from the National Water Commission (CONAGUA), under article 20 of the National Water Law, and registration in the National Public Water Registry (REPNA, art. 3, section XLIV of the same law). Drilling without a concession violates federal law.
• Water truck and cistern: no fixed water infrastructure; the lot depends on periodic deliveries from a contracted service and on the cistern's storage capacity.

Before buying, ask in writing which of these three options applies to the lot you are considering, since it changes both the operating cost and the legal step required before building. This question is part of the full checklist before buying a country lot.

One regional fact outweighs any paperwork: the Saltillo–Ramos Arizpe aquifer (code 0510), covering 1,446 km² across Saltillo, Ramos Arizpe and Arteaga, has a negative mean annual availability of 54.9 hm³ according to CONAGUA's 2024 update, with 118.1 hm³ per year already under concession against a recharge of 65.9 hm³. The document concludes there is no volume available for new concessions. In practice, a lot in those three municipalities that depends on a new well runs into that limit; lots served by the development's network, or with a concession title already in force, are the safer choice.

When a lot depends on a water truck and cistern, the cistern's size sets how many days of reserve the property has between deliveries; size it to expected household consumption, not just to the space available on the land.

How is electricity solved?

The most common option is a contract with the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) for the lot's service connection — the physical link between the CFE grid and the property's electrical installation. The procedure and cost of the connection depend on the distance between the lot and the nearest grid point.

When that distance is large — common on country lots far from the city — some owners choose a solar system instead of waiting for, or paying for, an extension of the conventional grid. The choice between CFE and solar is a decision for each owner or the subdivision's internal rules, not a single rule for every country lot. The cost of extending the grid to a distant lot can, in some cases, exceed the cost of installing a solar system with batteries; get quotes for both options before deciding.

What options exist for drainage, gas and internet?

For drainage, there are three scenarios depending on the development's infrastructure:

A septic tank and a biodigester are not simply interchangeable: a biodigester treats water to a level that allows reuse for irrigation, while a septic tank only separates and infiltrates it. The choice depends on the lot's soil type and the environmental rules that apply in each subdivision.

For gas, the usual solution on a country lot with no natural-gas network is LP gas, delivered through a stationary tank or cylinders, with periodic refills. For internet, whether fiber or fixed wireless service is available depends on the provider and the distance to existing infrastructure; there is no single solution for every country lot, and it should be confirmed with the provider before buying.

Why do pipes need protection in winter?

According to the IMSS pre-investment study for the Saltillo Family Medicine Unit (2016), frosts in Saltillo are frequent from November to February, most likely in January and February. An exposed pipe — whether from the water intake, the cistern or the home's own installation — can freeze and burst under those conditions.

On a country lot, where part of the installation is often left out in the open — between the water intake, the cistern and the house — exposed pipes should be insulated or buried before the first winter, not just the plumbing inside the home.

How does Grupo Server help?

Grupo Server is a construction group from Saltillo, Coahuila, founded in 1966, with nine companies. Its country-land division includes Bosquett, in Parras de la Fuente, and Ex Hacienda Amargos, in Paredón, Coahuila, with more detail on the country lots page. Server Construcciones (1966) develops land and builds infrastructure, including water and drainage, for the group's developments.

To confirm which utilities a specific lot has, write in through Grupo Server's contact page.