Clean Drinking Water: Monterrey, Mexico
Read more about how we’re bringing clean water to schools and families in northern Mexico
The Location
📍 Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
In Mexico, over 12 million people still lack reliable access to safe drinking water.
In Nuevo León, more than 20% of public schools regularly face water shortages that threaten student health, hygiene, and attendance.
Schools in rural and low-income areas are most affected, deepening educational inequality.
Many school feeding programs are disrupted due to lack of clean water, and girls often miss more school days due to the absence of safe menstrual hygiene facilities.
This project targets 10 vulnerable schools in Monterrey—installing sustainable, solar-powered water filtration systems to ensure safe drinking water for 16,000 people, including students, their families, and the wider school communities.
The Problem
Without safe, accessible water:
- Basic hygiene needs in schools go unmet
- Waterborne diseases spread easily among children
- Girls face added barriers due to inadequate menstrual hygiene facilities
- Nutrition goals are undermined when cafeterias can’t cook or clean
- Families must rely on expensive or unsafe alternatives
The result: preventable illness, poor school performance, and a widening opportunity gap.
The Solution
In partnership with WATERisLIFE and World Vision Mexico, we’re providing schools with the Black Box Ultrafiltration System—a cost-effective, off-grid technology that delivers clean water 24/7.
Each school installation includes:
- A solar-powered ultrafiltration system producing 40,000 liters/day
- Storage tanks, piping, and automatic solar-powered well pumps
- Capacity to support 1,600 people per school
- Surplus capacity that brings water cost down to less than $1 per person per year
This two-year project will reach 10 schools, 4,000 children, and an estimated 16,000 total individuals.
Partners
WATERisLIFE Global & World Vision Mexico
What is Clean Water Access?
Access to clean water isn’t just a health issue—it’s a human rights issue. In schools, it’s the foundation for:
- Student hygiene and attendance
- Safe school cafeterias and nutrition programs
- Improved gender equality, especially for girls
- Stronger educational outcomes
WATERisLIFE’s Black Box Ultrafiltration System:
- Uses 0.1-micron membrane filters to remove 99.99999% of bacteria and 99.1% of viruses
- Runs off-grid with solar-powered battery and backwash system
- Lasts up to 7 years with minimal maintenance
- Has been tested in diverse settings across Africa and Latin America
The Impact
- 40,000 liters of safe water provided per school, per day
- 1,600 people supported per school
- 16,000 individuals impacted over two years
- Improved health, attendance, and learning outcomes
- Empowerment of women and youth through access and education
Fun Fact: Each system is capable of generating 23 liters per person per day in surplus—enough to store a full year’s supply of drinking water in just 32 days.
WATERisLIFE’s 10 Pillars
- Safe Drinking Water & WASH
- Strong Community Engagement
- Value-Based Partnerships
- Innovative, Effective Technology
- Emergency Relief + Long-Term Solutions
- Focus on Filtration, Equipping, Infrastructure
- Women & Youth Empowerment
- Ongoing Maintenance & Support
- Global Awareness of the Water Crisis
- High Standards, Compliance & Community Commitment
Looking Ahead
The Monterrey project is a model for scalable school-based water access—combining sustainability, cost-efficiency, and strong local partnerships.
As the program expands, it will reach more schools and communities throughout Mexico.
With every system installed, we move closer to a future where no child misses school because of water.
Sustainable Development Goals Supported
🚫 No Poverty
🥘 Zero Hunger
⛑️ Good Health & Wellbeing
📚 Quality Education
⚧️ Gender Equality
💧 Clean Water and Sanitation
💼 Decent Work and Economic Growth
⚖️ Reduced Inequalities
How You Can Help
Ecodrive makes it easy for your business to support water access for vulnerable communities.
Tie customer purchases, subscriptions, or milestones to verified clean water projects like this one—empowering students, preventing disease, and creating long-term infrastructure that supports health and learning.
Plug in via Shopify or your preferred e-commerce platform and receive real-time reporting, marketing support, and impact verification that your customers can trust.
