With the support of the Toyota Foundation, the Pedro Calixto Aqueduct expands its service in the Borinquén Pradera Community
The Toyota Foundation was established in the Puerto Rico Community Foundation the fund that allows managing the awarding of these environmental donations
The Pedro Calixto Rural Aqueduct In the Borinquén Pradera community of Caguas, an example set by community work to improve its surroundings. 45 years ago, this community in the mountains of Caguas decided to counteract the lack of water provided by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority and opted for independence from the system. Thus, their community aqueduct was born.
Today, almost five decades later, the Pedro Calixto Rural Aqueduct has been able to make improvements and advance the expansion of its second aqueduct. These improvements have been made possible by a donation from Toyota Foundation as part of its Environmental Donations Program. Following this donation of $30,000, the water system now has a second reservoir to increase water distribution and storage for families in the area.
“Following the passage of Hurricane Maria, we adjusted our Environmental Grants Program to help the country. One of the winning proposals was for the Pedro Calixto Rural Aqueduct. In it, we saw the strength of community work, the efforts of a community to rise up, and above all, their commitment to moving forward,” commented Saskia Gómez, Public Relations Executive for Toyota of Puerto Rico.
Currently, the Pedro Calixto Rural Aqueduct supplies clean water to 180 families in the Borinquén Pradera community of Caguas. With the second reservoir, made possible by a donation from the Toyota Foundation, it will have a backup system that will provide an additional 42,000 gallons. Future plans include the installation of a cistern system in 100 homes, which will be able to store 300 gallons of water.
For his part, the president of the board of directors of the Pedro Calixto Rural Aqueduct, José Oyola, highlighted how his community's innovation and self-sufficiency serve as a model to follow. “Hurricane Maria affected us, but by having our own aqueduct, it allowed us to recover faster. At that moment, we were able to value community work even more, the independence we have achieved from the country's governmental entities, and the importance of support from entities like the Toyota Foundation.”.