This thesis explores how, in contexts of water scarcity and contamination, households become increasingly reliant on commodified sources of water. It uses a socio-economic approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data from two study areas in Mexico: El Salto, a peri-urban area with very poor-quality water service and high levels of environmental contamination, and San Cristóbal de Las Casas, a touristic town in the rural state of Chiapas. Focusing on the daily life experience of peri-urban populations, this work explores actual practices and strategies to access water. It investigates how commodified water, while providing a practical solution to water supply problems, also creates social differentiation and issues of equity.