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Just two years ago, Monterrey, Mexico, the country’s second largest city and a major industrial and economic hub, faced one of the worst droughts in its history. Water restrictions and daily uncertainty affected millions, creating an urgent need for a lasting solution.
With local reservoirs running low, El Cuchillo, the state’s largest dam, became the only viable water source. However, the existing aqueduct could transport only 5,000 liters per second (≈79,250 GPM), no longer enough to meet the city’s growing demand.
A second, parallel aqueduct was urgently needed to add another 5,000 liters per second, doubling the system’s total capacity to 10,000 liters per second (≈158,500 GPM).
That’s how the El Cuchillo II Aqueduct was born, an ambitious, 100-kilometer-long infrastructure project designed to strengthen the region’s water security and restore stability for more than 5.5 million people.
At Ruhrpumpen, we responded with urgency and commitment. We supplied 30 ZW horizontal split case pumps, each rated at 1,200 liters per second (19,000 GPM) and powered by motors up to 2,250 HP, distributed across the aqueduct’s five pumping stations.
These stations not only maintain continuous water flow; they also elevate the water from 156 (512 ft) to 545 meters (1,788 ft) above sea level, enabling its delivery to the purification plant and final distribution.
We delivered ahead of schedule, up to two months early, helping the project stay on track and move forward without delay.
This video features Pumping Station No. 4, a fully operational replica of the others, showcasing the precision and reliability behind the system.
More than just infrastructure, El Cuchillo II is a symbol of resilience. And the water now flowing into Monterrey, our home base and the heart of our operations, proudly carries the engineering, commitment, and name of Ruhrpumpen.
