Inauguration of second water tank for Pedro Calixto Rural Aqueduct
One hundred and eighty low-income families will have greater security of access to drinking water after the Pedro Calixto Rural Aqueduct, The Caguas water utility will inaugurate today a second 40,000-gallon storage tank. The construction of the new tank was financed by a philanthropic investment of Toyota Foundation Fund, administered by the Puerto Rico Community Foundation (FCPR), as well as input from the community and the Autonomous Municipality of Caguas.
The new tank will provide multiple benefits to the community: guaranteeing constant service without interruptions in drinking water service; strengthening the community's resilience in the event of an emergency with a tank that complies with building codes and is earthquake resistant; increasing the number of users that are supplied by the aqueduct; and facilitating the development of other community initiatives that require water. Also, with the new tank, the community will have greater storage capacity, promoting the efficiency of the system and the proper use of water resources. It is important to point out that in case of emergencies, the Pedro Calixto community will not only guarantee drinking water to its community, but will also provide drinking water to the surrounding communities, becoming an oasis, as they did after Hurricane Maria.
“This construction is an example of what is possible through self-management and community empowerment. We embarked on this adventure with vision, determination and a search for funds, and we found support in the Toyota Foundation, the Community Foundation and the Municipality of Caguas. Thank you very much for believing in us and contributing to the development of this project that makes possible the common good,” he said. José Oyola, president of El Acueducto Rural Pedro Calixto.
The second tank joins other community self-management works carried out by the non-profit organization that include eco-friendly initiatives such as the installation of a solar system at the disinfection plant. In addition, the educational program on the proper use of water and the installation of meters resulted in economic savings and increased water quantity availability.
“The Toyota Foundation Fund is committed to improving the quality of life in communities by supporting projects that solve environmental problems, and the construction of the tank embraced both purposes.”, Saskia Gómez, Public Relations Executive for Toyota de Puerto Rico.
The Pedro Calixto Rural Aqueduct is one of 242 community aqueducts located in 43 municipalities in remote rural and mountainous areas that supply drinking water to approximately 120,000 people in Puerto Rico. These community self-management initiatives to bring water to their communities are mainly due to the fact that the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (Prasa) lacks the infrastructure to provide this service to these areas.
“If it were not for the self-management efforts of the Borinquen community for more than four decades, water service would not have been possible. Their commitment to the well-being and health of their community is admirable. We also highlight the spirit of solidarity evidenced in part by their interest in serving as an oasis for Cagüeño communities. We are honored to have been able to support them with this social justice and equity project.”said Caguas Mayor William Miranda Torres.
The new tank required an investment of $80,000, which is broken down as follows: Toyota Foundation Fund, $30,000, facilitated through the Puerto Rico Community Foundation; Municipality of Caguas, $40,000; and community savings, $10,000.
“The Pedro Calixto Rural Aqueduct is an example of what can be achieved when community capital is increased, which has been the route we have taken at Fundación Comunitaria to promote social and economic transformation in our communities. The community embraced its self-management and bet on its growth. We thank the Toyota Foundation for the support provided to this project, which is in line with the program Water For Us of the FCPR”, said the president of the FCPR, Dr. Nelson I. Colón Tarrats.
The community organization of the aqueduct has been the catalytic agent for the development of other social-community projects, such as ISOMOS Coop. (a consumer cooperative with the purpose of promoting local commerce) and the business Smells and Tastes of the Countryside, “food truck”They have also developed some initiatives on environmental conservation and beautification of the community's common areas. They have also developed some initiatives on environmental conservation and beautification of the community's common areas.