Eventually the lake was drained by the channels and a tunnel to the Pánuco River, but even that could not stop floods, since by then most of the city was under the water table.
Efterhånden blev søen afvandet ved hjælp af kanaler og en tunnel til Pánuco-floden, men selv det kunne ikke forhindre oversvømmelser, da det meste af byen nu var under grundvandsspejlet.