A Tale of Two Cities:The Irony of Water in San Miguel
Photo: Rainwater Harvesting System in the elementary school at the community Estancia de la Canal.
San Miguel de Allende is known for its lush gardens, fountains, pools, and thermal water resorts — images that sharply contrast with the water reality faced by many residents living nearby in our semi-arid environment. Most of the families who live in Estancia de la Canal, a peri-urban community nestled in the foothills not far behind the La Lejona neighborhood in San Miguel, struggle with a severe lack of water. Despite being so close to urban San Miguel, the community is not connected to the municipal water supply. Years ago, a large “bordo” (water reservoir) was built in the community. But, without clear direction on who was responsible for this water resource, and little to no funds to support its operation and maintenance, the small reservoir fell into disrepair. Earlier this year, it was completely dry.
Many families in Estancia de la Canal have relied heavily on “pipas” (water trucks) for their water supply, filling up barrels outside of their homes and often costing thousands of pesos per trip. Not only are “pipas” barely affordable to those who need them, they are also inconsistent, substantially insufficient, and, most concerning, potentially contaminated with toxic, and very difficult-to-remove, arsenic and fluoride given the prevalence of these water contaminants throughout our region.
Photo: 55-gallon drums waiting to be filled by a pipa in Estancia de la Canal.
Arsenic is a deadly toxin, and fluoride, when consumed in high concentrations, is neurodegenerative, causing developmental impairments in children. The combination of these two contaminants can lead to chronic kidney disease, permanent skin lesions, dental and skeletal fluorosis (where teeth become permanently stained and bones become brittle), and certain types of cancer.
Estancia de la Canal and Caminos Partner Up
Earlier this year, Caminos was invited to Estancia de la Canal by Bill Wilkinson, a ‘Caminos’ collaborator, and a force in San Miguel who has provided educational support, facility improvements, and other services for children and schools in underserved communities for nearly a decade. Bill’s organization, Apoyo Escolar, has been working at the local elementary school in Estancia de la Canal and asked us to consult with them regarding their water situation.
After educational talks with concerned teachers and parents, the families decided to organize and partner with Caminos de Agua to create a rainwater harvesting project, specifically for the benefit of the elementary school. Thanks to funds provided by Bill’s project and individual donors to Caminos de Agua like you – combined with a lot of time and dedication from the families – we were able to bring two rainwater systems online at the elementary school a couple of months ago. With a combined capacity of 10,000 liters, these systems began operating just in time to take advantage of this year’s incredible rainy season, and will continue to provide alternative clean water access for many years to come.
Photo: Our current Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) and other community projects throughout the region, but a lot more work still to do.