Academics and Non-Governmental Organizations Partnering to help Communities Respond to Groundwater Quality Crises in Arid Regions

Abstract:

Here we describe the impact of a well-water quality research study (2014-present) in the Upper Rio Laja Watershed in Central Mexico, on communities needing rainwater harvesting interventions. In this semi-arid region irrigation pumping drives rising concentrations of geogenic arsenic (As) and fluoride (F). Deteriorating groundwater quantity and quality in Mexico is a politically fraught issue because over-pumping the aquifer creates wealth for land owners, jobs for locals and taxes for government. But children who consume water with high As and F concentrations suffer diminished intelligence reducing their lifetime earnings. The research study generated data that could be acted on by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Caminos del Agua, epidemiologists and communities to minimize human exposure to As and F. The epidemiologists used the data to prioritize study sites. Repeated water quality results were especially useful for estimating people’s exposure to As and F over time, especially during critical times of development (before any biomonitoring was carried out), and to associate past exposures to future health risks. The water quality results of 137 tested drinking water wells which served over half of the 600,000 people who live in the basin were communicated by uploading As and F concentrations to Caminos’ website allowing people to check their neighborhood risk (viewed 3,040 times in 2019) and reports were hand delivered to 40 of the most impacted communities detailing: 1) well-water chemistry where elements that exceeded the Mexican Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL) were flagged; 2) explained health risks from exposure to excess As and F in drinking water; and 3) recommended mitigation options. Caminos used the data to prioritizing their interventions. Between 2014 and present Caminos built 173 rainwater harvesting systems with 29 of them located in high-need communities identified by the research study. Caminos takes a participatory approach, wherein the community buys the materials and Caminos engineers guide the building. As well as impressing upon the stake holders the need to safe-guard their water quality and children’s futures against the growing threat of As and F, the research data helped Caminos identify the scale of the problem and raise the issue politically.