Safe Water means more than you think…
Our mission is to improve human health and community well-being through adequate and affordable access to clean water.
The Problem
San Miguel de Allende and the surrounding region, the Upper Río Laja Watershed, are facing a profound water crisis.
The groundwater that more than 740,000 people depend on has been dropping precipitously – up to 7 feet (roughly 0.5-2 m) a year.
The remaining water is increasingly contaminated with dangerous levels of arsenic and fluoride, both of which are on the World Health Organization’s list of the 10 chemicals of greatest public health concern.
People are increasingly suffering from a range of serious health impacts including dental and skeletal fluorosis, chronic kidney disease, developmental and learning impairments in children, and various types of cancer.
Children’s health is at the greatest risk because their growing bodies absorb these dangerous contaminants at a much higher rate.
The Consequences
Every year, more community wells dry up and, in some cases, literally collapse in on themselves due to the ever-depleting water table. We have seen firsthand how an entire rural community’s water supply can go dry overnight, leaving hundreds of families without any water access, forcing residents to fetch water from alternative sources that are often unreliable, expensive, or unsafe, putting their physical and economic wellbeing at risk—especially for women who are usually responsible for collecting water.
Further complicating the issues, extremely hard-to-remove arsenic and fluoride are closely linked to dental fluorosis, crippling skeletal fluorosis, chronic kidney disease, cognitive development and learning disabilities in children, skin disease, and even various cancers. Entire generations are being plagued with the negative impacts of arsenic and fluoride in their drinking water, and, worst of all, the most acutely impacted are children as their bodies absorb these contaminants at a much higher rate.
This is a serious public health crisis for our region and beyond.
-
Roughly, 2.2 billion people – or more than a quarter of the entire global population – lack access to clean water. Upwards of 300 million people, with an estimated 21 million in Mexico alone, suffer from excessive levels of arsenic and fluoride in their water supplies, with few appropriate solutions available to remove these problematic contaminants. The accompanying social and economic impacts of this crisis are almost impossible to overstate. Innovative, low-cost solutions are desperately needed to address both the social needs of at risk communities who are disproportionately affected by these modern water issues, as well as the increasingly complex technical water challenges we are now facing in the 21st century.
(Click on the image to enlarge)
(Click on the image to enlarge)
Our Response
Caminos de Agua is a community-focused, data-driven, and science-oriented NGO focused on water solutions for rural communities. Founded in 2012 with the mission of “Improving human health and community well-being through adequate and affordable access to clean water,” we work with a broad range of partners to both innovate and construct appropriate drinking water systems. Our unique approach enables communities to take ownership over their water future. We monitor community water quality, uncovering dangerous chemical contaminants, and our pioneering low-cost technologies have directly impacted over 50,000 people in the Upper Río Laja Watershed, as well as throughout Mexico, as of 2024. Some of the highlights of our process include:
Raising Awareness
We raise the awareness of people and communities regarding local and global water challenges through our Water Quality Monitoring Program, development of educational materials and programs, and through other forums and events. Our education programs are not limited to our region. We contract with governments and other stakeholders throughout the country, from Chihuahua to Chiapas, to help address our national water crisis.
Groundwater Treatment System (GTS)
The result of years of research, development, and testing by Caminos and our academic partners, GTS is an award-winning technology that uniquely places the power of water treatment into the hands of those most adversely affected. GTS is able to remove dangerous contaminants, specifically arsenic and fluoride, from groundwater at the entire community scale, while being directly operated, monitored, and maintained by the community itself.
Rainwater Harvesting System
Our rainwater harvesting program supports community processes and leverages volunteer labor. As of 2024, we have helped build nearly 1,400 large-scale rainwater harvesting systems alongside a vast network of grassroots and community partners, and are poised to build thousands more. In addition to being inherently free of arsenic and fluoride, rainwater gives users control and consistency over their water source, improves community health, and reduces environmental stress on aquifers.
How We Work
We develop innovative water solutions with at-risk communities in our watershed in central Mexico, and extend these solutions to others facing similar water challenges around the globe. We employ a unique bottom-up approach, rooted in close collaboration with affected communities, and we openly share the data of our rigorous testing and analysis of water supplies.
Learn more about our process by watching the TEDx presentation from our founder and executive director, Dylan Terrell, by clicking on the video on the right (or above if viewing on a mobile device).
What Can You Do?
Is it safe to shower with arsenic and fluoride in my water? Can I eat vegetables irrigated with high levels of arsenic? How can I become more involved?
These are questions we receive often at Caminos de Agua. So, click below to learn more about what you can do to ensure your water is safe, as well as how you can help mitigate the water crisis for others.
Our Team
Our team, made up of full and part-time staff, is supported by a 12-member Board of Directors, graduate-level interns, and senior advisers, volunteers and fellows. We’re a mix of Mexicans and international residents, technologists and community organizers, researchers and educators — united by our dedication to public health and welfare.
Know Your Water
Our oldest program in Caminos de Agua is Water Quality Monitoring. Since 2012, we have continuously sampled and tested water quality from rural wells and urban taps throughout the watershed, analyzing more than 1,100 sites throughout the region, in close collaboration with both university and community partners. All of our results are published freely on our interactive water quality map.
To help support this program and keep rural community water sampling free, or highly subsidized, we offer water testing services to private clients. Click on to learn more about our Water Monitoring Program, access our results, or have your own water tested.
Awards & Recognition
2022 - 1st Place Award
2021 - National Finalist
2018- National Finalist
2021 - Ashoka Fellowship
2019 - Winner
Our Partners
Make a donation.
Caminos de Agua is a nonprofit organization that creates access to clean drinking water through a unique, proven participatory and grassroots approach. Our projects currently provide clean water access to more than 50,000 people in the Upper Río Laja Watershed as well as throughout Mexico. Our goal is to reach 250,000 by 2030. Support our work by making a donation today.