By Bernardo Moreno González
Just because some of us have the privilege of turning on the sink, shower, or toilet and hearing the water running doesn’t mean that everyone enjoys the public water system in their locality. In fact, there are many problems with water in this semi-arid area, and we need to be aware of this. Access to water is guaranteed by the constitution, but it is also overexploited by multiple industrial and residential parks and huge irrigation fields, all in favor—some big businessmen and politicians will say—of progress, exports, and job creation. But what is the reality of water and of so many communities without access to it?
Caminos de Agua is a civil organization concerned about this and focused on providing solutions to the problem. I invite you to read this interview, now that World Water Day is approaching, with Dylan Terrell, founder and executive director of Caminos de Agua.
BM: Could you explain to us who Caminos de Agua is and what your organization is dedicated to?
DT: Thank you so much. We are very grateful for this space so that the San Miguel community can get to know the work of our organization better. Caminos de Agua is an NGO based out of San Miguel, founded in 2012. So, we’ve been working for over 10 years now in the region in pursuit of our mission, which is “to improve human health and community well-being through adequate and affordable access to clean water.” We work in partnership with communities-at-risk as well as numerous other organizations, university partners, and local and state governments to confront challenges of water quality and water scarcity through our water monitoring program, research and technology development, educational programs, and community-led implementation of water solutions, including rainwater harvesting systems, composting toilets, water filters, and water treatment plants.
BM: Can you tell us about the importance of the Alto Río Laja Aquifer?
DT: The Alto del Río Laja aquifer is the main source of drinking water for seven municipalities in the state of Guanajuato, including San Miguel de Allende, and it has some of the greatest water availability problems in the country. It’s estimated that the water level of the aquifer is dropping by an average of two to three meters per year, which means that the wells have to be drilled deeper year after year. Essentially, we are extracting more water from our aquifers than naturally infiltrates through the ground, forcing us to drill deeper, and that deeper water tends to have higher levels of contaminants. Arsenic and fluoride levels in many sites greatly exceed the norms and recommendations by CONAGUA and the World Health Organization. Currently, more than 680,000 people live in this region, so we need to pay close attention to the health impacts that these contaminants can have, especially on those most vulnerable, particularly children under 8 years of age or so and older adults.
BM: Can you tell us about the activities and projects Caminos de Agua implements with communities?
DT: Over the last 10 years, Caminos has collaborated with community organizations in different municipalities across our watershed, working together with the people most affected by these issues to obtain safe sources of clean water and to improve overall public health. We have worked in more than 140 different, mostly rural, communities in our watershed. One of our most important current projects is called Agua y Salud (Water and Health), a collaborative effort involving nine organizations and impacting communities in four different municipalities in our watershed. Through this project, which began in 2021, we updated the water quality information of 21 wells, which serve more than 60 communities. This information has been widely disseminated across these communities so that people can secure safe sources of clean water for drinking and cooking in areas where arsenic and/or fluoride levels exceed the allowable limits. As an alternative to contaminated well water, we have implemented 564 large-scale rainwater harvesting systems together in the last two years of this project, each with a ceramic filter to ensure the water is free of pathogens and fit for human consumption. We have also built 50 dry toilets as an initial pilot with partner organizations, which seek to ensure the human right to sanitation as well. All of this is accompanied by numerous workshops and a series of encounters called «Water Learning Communities,» where people from 60+ rural communities have participated to raise awareness of the regional water situation as well as the importance of strengthening broader social participation to continue taking actions that address the health and well-being of the people and the watershed where we all live.
BM: A few weeks ago, the San Miguel de Allende police beat, detained, and tortured a fellow member of Caminos de Agua. The incident was reported. Have you received any response from the authorities?
DT: We have not received a clear response yet, but they took the measures that are in accordance with their responsibilities as an authority of the state government. As an organization, we act within the framework of the law and are attentive to the response of the authorities.
BM: World Water Day is coming up. Will Caminos de Agua have an event, and, if so, what will it be about, and can you tell us about the importance of the day?
DT: «Accelerate Change» is the UN’s theme for World Water Day this year, which is an opportunity to reflect on the actions we can take together to better care for our water resources. If you want to know more, you can look into the global campaign «Be the Change» that encourages all of us to take action in our own lives at various different levels.
So, that’s why this year the Agua Vida Network, which Caminos is a part of, will hold the Feria del Agua (Water Fair), a free public event. Through art, games, and other activities, people will learn about the current water situation, the need to take collective action, and safe water alternatives that can guarantee the human right to water for people living in urban San Miguel. The event will be held on Sunday, March 26, starting at 11am at Plaza Cívica, in Spanish. We invite you all to come and be a part of the change.
