This 2022, Don’t Forget to Test Your Water [] Caminos de Agua

Published January 29th, 2022

We invite you to gain understanding and spread knowledge by testing your water. After filling out the online form with the required information, sample drop-off at our office is available Tuesdays or Thursdays from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. See the website for further details and for analysis costs. All profit from paid analyses supports free testing of rural wells in our partner communities. For more information please visit  mywater.caminosdeagua.org

At Caminos de Agua we offer two types of analysis, the first is a complete water analysis, which includes testing for fluoride, arsenic, total dissolved solids, and pH. The second is the reverse osmosis system efficiency analysis, which is used to monitor the systems and to know when the filter membrane needs to be changed or maintenance needs to be performed.

San Miguel de Allende and much of the Upper Río Laja basin – a groundwater reservoir and the main source of water for more than 680,000 people in northern Guanajuato – is experiencing a severe water crisis. Overexploitation of this and other aquifers, mainly due to activities related to the agricultural export industry, are driving our water table to alarmingly low levels. Every year we see a drop in this region of 2 to 3 meters (6 to 9 feet). One of the worst in the world.

As overexploitation of the aquifer increases, the levels of contaminants present in the extracted groundwater have also increased – with arsenic and fluoride being two of the most prevalent contaminants in our water reserves.

These contaminants, which are so difficult to remove, are closely related to dental fluorosis, crippling bone fluorosis, chronic kidney disease, cognitive development and learning problems in children, skin diseases, and even several types of cancer.

To guarantee the health of the more than 2,800 rural and urban communities belonging to the Upper Rio Laja watershed, including San Miguel de Allende, it is essential to be aware of the quality of our water and what options we have to ensure that we are consuming healthy water.