by Daniela Vargas León

A Regional Crisis

Imagine turning on your tap and getting nothing, or going days without a shower because there simply isn't enough water. For thousands of rural and urban families in the northern part of our state, this is an everyday challenge.

In the Upper Río Laja Watershed, which includes San Miguel and six other municipalities, three quarters of a million people face growing shortages. And much of the water that does arrive contains worrying levels of arsenic and fluoride, contaminants that have been linked to health issues, including dental and skeletal fluorosis, skin lesions, developmental delays in children, chronic kidney disease, and cancer.

A simple, cost-effective, often-overlooked remedy is rainwater harvesting. In our dry climate, rainfall can feel sporadic, but it's naturally free of these toxins and, with simple filtration systems to remove bacteria, it offers a reliable source of clean water. Today, more and more communities are discovering how to turn every rain shower and thunderstorm into a fresh, safe supply of water.

Scarcity in Llano Verde

Celia and Alfredo live in Llano Verde, a close-knit community of just 17 families about an hour and a half north of San Miguel. Their only water source is a shared well located miles away, also serving several other small villages across the region. With the aquifer dropping and system pressure too low, water rarely makes the journey through pipes to Llano Verde's single communal tap. As Alfredo laments, "Very little water comes to us from the well. There are just too many other people depending on it. We've struggled with this for so long. We hardly have a single drop of municipal water."

Alfredo recalls setting out before dawn to the hills to get water, "I wake up around 6am, load two or three jugs into my wheelbarrow, and walk an hour one way. If I am lucky and no one is at the well, I'll do two trips in the morning. I do the first, come back, and tell my wife, 'There's water!' We empty the jugs and both head back for more."

Celia knows this routine well, traveling far just to bring water home. As a child she learned to balance two containers on a stick across her back. As an adult, she has learned to carry a heavy jug on her head. What began by necessity has become a way of life, one that places the heaviest burden on women, children, and men who can't really afford to take time away from work, but must.

Yet, through the hardship, the families of Llano Verde have found ways to support one another: sharing leftover water, coordinating trips to the well, and keeping spirits up with laughter even on the driest days. Their resilience set the stage for a quiet transformation, one that began when they first captured rain.

Harvesting Hope

During the rainy season, Celia, Alfredo, and their neighbors leapt into action at the first drizzle, placing buckets, pans, and any available containers on rooftops and in courtyards to catch every drop. Then, after the storm passed, they would even strain puddle water for cooking and drinking. Nothing went to waste. Since installing a large-scale rainwater-harvesting system, those long treks and makeshift collections are a thing of the past. Now they can simply and conveniently step outside to fill a pitcher straight from their own tanks.

This transformation was truly a community effort. Residents of Llano Verde teamed up with Caminos de Agua and the grassroots group CUVAPAS (United Communities for Life and Water) to design and build systems for all 17 families. Alfredo didn't just use his own system; after receiving training he became a local builder, helping neighbors install their own systems. Years later, his son joined Caminos de Agua to teach San Miguel high school students how to build these same systems, spreading the impact far beyond Llano Verde.

A Shared Dream

Reflecting on their journey, Celia and Alfredo hope every family, in Llano Verde and beyond, can enjoy the simple gift of fresh water at their doorstep. In their words:

"I would like to see that those who have water give to those that don't. If I have access to water, then you should too; 'There you go. And, you're always welcome here, whenever you'd like. We'll drink a little glass of rainwater, of course!'"

Celia and Alfredo's experience reflects a much larger challenge: over 2,800 communities across our northern Guanajuato watershed still lack reliable, safe drinking water. As aquifers decline and contamination risks rise, thousands of families contend with daily uncertainty, suffering preventable illnesses, losing income (when time is spent fetching water), and straining social bonds as everyone vies for the next drop.

Be Part of the Solution

You can help turn the tide on the water crisis, from securing safe water in your own home to expanding rainwater harvesting and other efforts in Llano Verde, San Miguel and beyond. Sign up for our newsletter to discover how:

www.caminosdeagua.org/join-our-list

At Caminos de Agua, we believe everyone deserves access to safe, healthy drinking water, and that the best solutions come from the ground up.

Over the past 14 years, working in more than 200 communities, our team of local organizers, engineers, and educators has partnered with grassroots leaders to co-create practical, affordable water solutions that are easy to maintain, and designed to last, bringing water security to tens of thousands of people.

Website

**************

Daniela Vargas León cares deeply about creating positive change and a more sustainable future. Her work in this regard has taken her from the Yucatán to the West Bank to the hills of Nepal.

In charge of development at Caminos de Agua, she brings people and institutions together to support community-driven solutions.

Discover Lokkal:
Watch the two-minute video below.
Then, just below that, scroll down SMA's Community Wall.
Mission

Visit SMA's Social Network

Contact / Contactar