This project aims to structurally transform water resource management within Colegio Madrid, a leading educational institution in Mexico City, through an integrated, adaptable, and scalable technical-pedagogical intervention. The initiative seeks to ensure continuous, safe, and high-quality access to alternative water sources, reduce external supply dependence by more than 60%, and foster an institutional culture of sustainability and shared water responsibility.
From a systemic perspective, the local water crisis is addressed through a package of decentralized technological solutions that includes: rainwater harvesting and storage from 7,265 m² of rooftop surface, with an estimated capacity of over 3,700 m³/year; advanced treatment for potable use in compliance with NOM-127-SSA1-2021; and a domestic wastewater (blackwater) treatment plant with a capacity of 30 m³/day, operating 280 days per year, for on-site reuse in toilets and green areas, in accordance with NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021 and NOM-003-SEMARNAT-1997.
These infrastructures are integrated into a digital monitoring system using multiparameter sensors connected via LoRaWAN, along with an educational platform that transforms real-time data into curricular content for science, technology, and environmental ethics. The project design is based on the VWBA 2.0 framework for quantifying net volumetric water benefits, complemented by the WQBA approach for demonstrating improvements in effluent quality, and WASH BA for assessing social, health, and access-related benefits. Colegio Madrid is thus positioned as a demonstrative urban node of resilient, educational, and quantifiable water innovation, directly benefiting over 1,870 individuals.
The Valley of Mexico Basin is experiencing a scenario of structural water stress, where annual groundwater extraction exceeds natural recharge by more than 200%, generating cumulative effects such as accelerated land subsidence (up to 50 cm per year in critical zones) and irreversible deterioration of aquifer systems. The urban distribution network presents Non-Revenue Water (NRW) rates above 40%, due to physical losses from leaks and illegal connections, which exacerbates inequity in water access, particularly in educational institutions that lack their own rainwater harvesting or storage infrastructure.
In the specific case of Colegio Madrid, located in an urban water stress area, the water supply is intermittent and of variable quality, forcing frequent reliance on water delivery trucks (pipas), which increases operating costs and the institution’s carbon footprint. Furthermore, the school lacks a system that allows the technical utilization of alternative sources, such as rainwater harvesting or the reuse of wastewater generated in sinks and showers, representing a dual inefficiency: on one hand, unnecessary pressure on the municipal network; and on the other, the discharge of potentially usable water without treatment. This situation not only entails a real sanitary risk due to service disruptions, but also a missed opportunity to transform the educational space into a living laboratory for sustainability and local climate action.
The proposal integrates a comprehensive strategy to address the water crisis through decentralized infrastructure, advanced treatment technologies, and a participatory educational framework. The rainwater harvesting system is dimensioned based on an annual water balance analysis for the 7,265 m² of available rooftop area, under an average annual rainfall of 616.2 mm and a runoff coefficient of 0.85, allowing for an estimated potential capture volume exceeding 3,700 m³ per year. This water is conveyed through downspouts with vortex-type pre-filters and stored in buried modular cisterns, then treated using a triple filtration system followed by UV disinfection, ensuring compliance with NOM-127-SSA1-2021 for safe human consumption within the school.
In parallel, a domestic wastewater treatment plant (blackwater) with a capacity of 30 m³/day will be installed, operating 280 days per year. The treatment line will include a sequence of processes comprising primary sedimentation, physical filtration through granular media, a horizontal subsurface-flow aerobic bioreactor, and UV disinfection with redundant monitoring. The treated effluent will be reused on-site in toilet flushing and irrigation of green areas, in compliance with NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021 and NOM-003-SEMARNAT-1997. This intervention is expected to result in a direct saving of over 8,400 m³/year of potable water and significantly reduce pollutant loads, with verifiable improvements in parameters such as BOD₅, TSS, and fecal coliforms, as per the WQBA framework.
In total, the project anticipates an annual water replenishment exceeding 12,000 m³/year, integrating both rainwater capture and the reuse of treated blackwater, representing more than 60% of Colegio Madrid’s current total water consumption. The benefits extend to a school community of 1,870 people, with improved access, reduced sanitary risk, and a replicable educational model that positions the school as a hub for urban water innovation.
The project will be executed in three sequential and complementary phases, with a rigorous focus on measurement, monitoring, and control to ensure verifiable technical and social outcomes.
Phase 1: Diagnostic and Participatory Design (0–3 months): This initial stage includes a detailed technical assessment of the school’s total water consumption, identification and quantification of wastewater generation points, and analysis of the effective area available for rainwater harvesting. Microbiological and physicochemical analyses will be conducted on both incoming water sources and current discharges, using certified methods in accordance with NOM-127-SSA1 and NOM-230, to determine water quality and critical parameters (BOD, solids, coliforms).
A robust baseline will be established for volumetric water benefit indicators (VWBA), water quality benefits (WQBA), and social-health-access indicators (WASH BA).
Simultaneously, co-design workshops will be carried out with active participation from teachers, parents, and students, aimed at defining the intended uses of treated water and ensuring social and pedagogical ownership of the project.
Monitoring plan for this phase includes:
Phase 2: Infrastructure Installation (3–8 months): This phase covers the construction and assembly of all water infrastructure, including:
Technical monitoring during this phase will focus on:
Phase 3: Monitoring, Education, and Scaling (8–24 months): Once operational, a continuous validation system will be established for water volume, quality, and social benefits, through external technical audits accredited and certified under international standards (Aqua Positive, ESRS E3, CDP Water, Science-Based Targets for Water).
Ongoing training programs will be implemented for maintenance staff and teachers, focused on sustainable operation and responsible water resource management.
The monitoring platform will be integrated as a formal educational tool within the school curriculum, incorporating content from science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), social sciences, and environmental ethics to promote shared responsibility and active student engagement.
Additionally, partnerships with other educational institutions will be promoted to replicate the model and build a collaborative network for sustainable water management, amplifying the project’s territorial and social impact.
Monitoring plan for this phase includes:
Colegio Madrid, an educational institution with a strong social and environmental commitment, is located in a high-density urban area within the Valley of Mexico Basin. This region faces multiple water-related challenges, including aquifer overexploitation, increasing reliance on water trucks during dry seasons, and a supply network characterized by losses and structural vulnerabilities. Additionally, potable water and sanitation services in schools often suffer from discontinuity, microbiological quality risks, and inefficient resource use.
In this context, Colegio Madrid has initiated a comprehensive transformation process toward institutional water resilience by integrating technological, educational, and community-based solutions aimed at securing continuous access to safe water, reducing the school’s operational water footprint, and generating positive impacts on the surrounding environment.
The project strategy is based on three complementary pillars:
A modular solution has been designed to collect rainwater from school rooftops, ensure safe storage, conduct basic treatment, and redistribute the water for non-potable uses. In parallel, a treatment system is implemented for greywater generated in sinks and showers, which is then reused in toilets, reducing potable water demand by at least 40% in these applications.
The project also includes the installation of flow and quality sensors, with real-time monitoring systems connected to an educational digital platform, allowing students to visualize the school’s water performance. At the operational level, external validation protocols and preventive maintenance systems are established to ensure the durability and effectiveness of the infrastructure.
This model not only enables safe and sustainable water management within the school community, but also serves as a replicable experience for other public and private schools across the country. It aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13, and 17, and with the methodological frameworks of VWBA 2.0, WQBA, and WASH BA.
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