Urban green spaces and their relationship with groundwater quality: the case of a shallow aquifer in the south of Mexico City

Abstract

Water supply security is a top priority for decision-makers in cities. Urban population growth increases water demand from aquifers, while urban expansion reduces water infiltration and boosts water pollution sources. Urban green spaces are a few of the remaining infiltration areas. Therefore, they are essential for water supply and urban hydric resilience. The urban dynamic directly influences shallow aquifers, but they usually are unappreciated. This work illustrates the relationship between urban green spaces and city water quality by evaluating the influence of urban green space, Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Angel (REPSA), on a shallow aquifer in Mexico City. Five springs were sampled: two upstream of REPSA, a spring within REPSA, and two downstream. Because the study area is mainly residential but with an industrial history, water quality was tested based on microbiological pathogens, nutrients, pharmaceutical drugs, and heavy metals. Results showed an enhancement of water quality of the shallow aquifer in the sampling points downstream of REPSA for some of the pollutants. These results illustrate how urban green spaces can help to dilute pollutants present in the water of shallow aquifers, increasing water quality in cities.