The 21st century has entered a new phase of hydrological crisis. Water scarcity is no longer a distant projection but a present reality, where rainfall events are increasingly volatile and intense, aquifers are overexploited, and water quality concerns are widespread. Studies between 2022 and 2025 have confirmed that even rainwater has been found to contain PFAS, detected in remote regions like the Himalayas and Antarctica. These persistent compounds accumulate in our soils, our food, and, ultimately, in our blood. The water that once symbolized purity now represents a challenge to human and environmental health.
At the same time, the urban fabric of our cities has become almost impermeable. Asphalt, concrete, rooftops, and parking lots seal the soil, preventing rainwater from infiltrating into aquifers. In natural landscapes, up to half of the rainfall infiltrates the ground, but in highly urbanized zones this drops dramatically, while runoff rises exponentially. Every year, billions of gallons of potential groundwater recharge are lost, water that instead becomes polluted surface flow carrying oil residues, heavy metals, and microplastics into rivers and seas. The result is a double crisis: scarcity by under-recharge and contamination by runoff.
The Heart Water Buda Rainwater Collection and Utilization Facility emerges as a transformative response to this crisis. Located in the highly water-stressed Austin–San Antonio corridor of Texas, the initiative redefines how industries can operate amid climate uncertainty. The project captures rainwater from a 100,000 ft² (9,300 m²) industrial rooftop, stores it in large-capacity tanks, and treats it through a multi-barrier purification system: prefiltration, activated carbon, microfiltration, ultraviolet sterilization, and ozone disinfection. Through this process, rainwater, which can contain PFAS and microplastics, is not only collected but also purified, converted into safe, high-quality water suitable for industrial use and FDA-regulated canned drinking water production.
This is not simply rainwater harvesting; it is rainwater regeneration. The Heart Water process prevents contaminated runoff, purifies collected water to potable standards, and recycles the microplastics removed during filtration through partnerships with certified recycling enterprises. Each cubic meter collected and treated represents a verifiable act of resilience and an auditable water benefit.
The project’s governance and verification ecosystem is built on rigorous transparency. SCS Global Services will audit operational data, ensuring compliance with international standards, while Dr. Damián Markov, known as The Climate Doctor, pediatrician and expert in Climate and Environmental Health, will lead health impact assessments and communicate findings through international water and health forums. The collaboration among Heart Water, Aqua Positive, technology providers, and external verifiers positions this initiative as a replicable, high-integrity model for corporate water stewardship.
In addition, Heart Water integrates in-line turbine technology to generate renewable energy from flowing water during collection and processing. As water moves at high velocity through the system, these turbines produce electricity to power filtration and processing equipment, creating a more energy-efficient and sustainable operation. The initiative also promotes education and advocacy, engaging the community and stakeholders through facility tours, educational content, and conference participation, and collaborating with regulators to create streamlined pathways for the approval and implementation of alternative water solutions. This combination of renewable energy generation and education & advocacy strengthens Heart Water’s commitment to circular sustainability, decentralization, and community awareness.
Ultimately, this is a story of hope and innovation, transforming passive rooftops into climate-resilient infrastructure and proving that industrial ecosystems can become net contributors to water security rather than consumers of it.
Texas stands at the frontline of the global water crisis. Drought recurrence, urban sprawl, and aquifer depletion converge to create a chronic deficit that endangers both communities and industries. The Austin–San Antonio corridor, where Heart Water operates, exemplifies this tension between growth and scarcity.
But the challenge extends beyond quantity; it is also about quality. Rain, once a source of renewal, now carries PFAS and microplastics. Studies from 2024–2025 reveal that bottled water, often perceived as safer, is equally affected: over 99% of tested brands contained detectable levels of PFAS. Prolonged exposure, particularly for women and children, increases risks of endocrine disruption, developmental delays, and immune dysfunctions. Addressing these differentiated impacts, the project integrates a health-sensitive approach that prioritizes the protection of vulnerable populations and reinforces the social value of clean water access.
Heart Water also identifies an opportunity to expand impact through clean energy and education. The incorporation of in-line turbine systems transforms hydraulic flow into renewable energy that powers part of the facility’s operation, reducing dependency on external electricity and lowering its carbon footprint. Meanwhile, its education and advocacy programs build awareness and knowledge, connecting communities, regulators, and industries around the shared vision of decentralized, climate-resilient water systems.
In this landscape, Heart Water turns adversity into opportunity. Its registered and traceable process does not merely collect rainwater; it purifies it, powers itself with renewable energy, educates its stakeholders, monitors digitally, and documents every liter of reclaimed value. Through dissemination of research findings in workshops, training programs, and scientific meetings, the initiative strengthens environmental literacy and builds community capacity for sustainable water management. This transparency allows corporations to align their participation with science-based water stewardship principles and report measurable Volumetric Water Benefits (VWB) under verified frameworks.
From day one, Dr. Damián Markov will oversee public health communication and scientific dissemination, transforming the project into a living case study linking water security and human health. Insights gathered will be shared in seminars, health congresses, and global water dialogues, amplifying corporate visibility and stakeholder engagement.
The participation of SCS Global ensures credible third-party verification, while collaboration with Aqua Positive aligns the project with the global agenda of Water for People, Water for Prosperity, and Water for the Planet. For corporations seeking to invest in Water Positive impact, this initiative offers both tangible results and a compelling narrative of leadership, accountability, and innovation.
From an engineering standpoint, the Heart Water facility embodies precision and purpose. Its rainwater harvesting system integrates technical, environmental, and health criteria to ensure efficiency, safety, and traceability throughout the water’s life cycle.
System Components:
PFAS and Microplastic Mitigation: Advanced carbon filtration and microfiltration units are calibrated to remove PFAS residues and microplastics, while retained solids are segregated and offered to specialized recyclers. This closed-loop management ensures that pollutants are captured, not displaced. By preventing the infiltration of PFAS and other contaminants into soil and groundwater, the rainwater collection and purification system supports the preservation of terrestrial ecosystems. It minimizes the persistence of these synthetic chemicals that degrade soil quality, disrupt microbial balance, and endanger plant and animal life. The project contributes to ecosystem restoration by protecting biodiversity and promoting healthier land-water interactions.
Measurement Framework: The project applies the VWBA 2.0 “volume captured” methodology, calculating the net volumetric benefit as the water effectively harvested and used minus losses from evaporation and overflow. Baseline modeling defines what would have been extracted from traditional sources, allowing the project’s additionality and benefit to be quantified and verified annually.
This fusion of science, monitoring, and sustainability transforms the facility into a demonstrator of Net Positive Water Impact (NPWI), aligning technological excellence with social and environmental responsibility.
The project implementation unfolds through four sequential phases, ensuring robust design, validation, and reporting integrity under the Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting (VWBA 2.0) and Net Positive Water Impact (NPWI) standards.
Phase 1 – Diagnosis and Design: Hydrological and topographical analysis of the rooftop area using GIS and SWMM models establishes the technical baseline. Efficiency, rainfall distribution, and regulatory compliance are evaluated to define the system’s optimal configuration and performance expectations. These parameters determine potential capture efficiency, identify runoff losses, and serve as the foundation for comparative modeling throughout the project’s life cycle.
Phase 2 – Installation of Infrastructure: Deployment of sensors, tanks, and purification systems follows strict engineering and safety protocols. Ultrasonic or electromagnetic flow meters are installed at intake, treatment, and distribution points to ensure volumetric accuracy. Multiparameter probes for pH, turbidity, conductivity, and ozone concentration are integrated into a SCADA-based automation network, providing real-time visibility of both quantity and quality metrics. Storage tanks are fitted with level controllers and overflow protections to guarantee operational reliability.
Phase 3 – Continuous Operation: During the operational phase, the system records daily flows and treatment data. Automated monitoring, preventive maintenance, and calibration protocols ensure stable performance. Monthly internal audits evaluate water balance consistency and data accuracy, while quarterly reports consolidate hydrological, environmental, and social indicators. The SCADA interface and cloud redundancy system secure data integrity and traceability.
Phase 4 – External Verification: Independent third-party validation is conducted annually by SCS Global under VWBA Method A-5. Verification confirms additionality, net volumetric benefit, and system permanence, comparing actual captured volumes against modeled baselines. Results are uploaded to Aqua Positive’s digital traceability platform, generating verified credits and transparent disclosure under corporate ESG and ESRS E3 standards.
Each phase strengthens the project’s transparency and comparability, ensuring permanence, intentionality, and accountability of the benefits generated. The integration of automation, continuous monitoring, and independent verification ensures that every cubic meter of water reported is measurable, additional, and scientifically verifiable.
By embedding VWBA 2.0 principles, reliability, conservativeness, and traceability, the Heart Water Buda R&D Facility represents not only a technological achievement but also a benchmark for water integrity and corporate water stewardship at scale.
The Heart Water Buda R&D Facility is more than an industrial pilot; it is a blueprint for a resilient future. By capturing, purifying, and reusing rainwater, it reduces dependence on overstressed aquifers, mitigates contamination risks, and demonstrates that water scarcity and pollution can be addressed through technology, health collaboration, and corporate accountability.
Its implementation, verified through VWBA 2.0, NPWI, and ESRS E3 Water and Marine Resources criteria, positions it as an eligible project for corporate Water Positive portfolios. Companies investing in or partnering with Heart Water gain both measurable impact and reputational capital within global sustainability frameworks.
The project also integrates public health into its core mission. Under the leadership of Dr. Damián Markov, pediatrician and environmental health specialist known as The Climate Doctor, Heart Water establishes a bridge between water security and human well-being. By addressing contaminants such as PFAS and microplastics, the facility demonstrates that industrial-scale purification can become a proactive health intervention. Findings from the project are shared through international water and health forums, amplifying awareness and fostering scientific exchange.
The Heart Water Buda R&D Facility represents a tangible demonstration of what a circular, climate-resilient water system can achieve. It merges innovation with social and environmental purpose, showing that industrial infrastructure can evolve from being a source of impact to a source of regeneration. The project not only ensures high-quality water production but also creates knowledge, strengthens local capacity, and restores confidence in sustainable water use.
By proving that rooftop surfaces can become decentralized water systems, Heart Water reimagines how urban and industrial landscapes can function as active contributors to local hydrological balance. The initiative exemplifies efficiency, transparency, and inclusivity, generating measurable benefits for ecosystems and communities while inspiring a new standard of corporate water responsibility.
In essence, Heart Water Buda is where science, sustainability, and collective purpose converge, transforming every drop into a story of regeneration, resilience, and shared value. Through this model, Aqua Positive and its partners illustrate how water-positive innovation can scale globally while remaining locally relevant, verifiable, and inspiring.
