Starbucks and Planet Water Foundation bring clean water to La Cañada community in Querétaro

• AquaTower water filtration system supplies up to 1,000 liters of clean water per hour to La Cañada community, in Cerro Prieto, Querétaro.  
• 10 Starbucks Mexico partners (employees) from stores across Querétaro install hand washing stations and provided educational hygiene workshops for students in the community.  
• Second AquaTower water filtration system in Mexico supported by The Starbucks Foundation in partnership with Planet Water Foundation. 

Mexico City, MEXICO - To continue providing access to clean, safe drinking water and handwashing stations to people in Mexico, and in recognition of Global Handwashing Day, Starbucks Mexico and The Starbucks Foundation partnered with Planet Water Foundation to install an AquaTower water filtration system in La Cañada community, located in Cerro Prieto, Querétaro.  

Considered one of the most marginalized communities within Querétaro, access to safe, clean drinking water is a significant problem in La Cañada, where about 1,290 people live. Many residents are unable to consume water directly from a well without treatment or filtration and water is contaminated by farming waste, putting the health of residents at risk.  

The new AquaTower water filtration system provides clean water to over 330 students of the Niños Heroes School and supports at least 90 families in La Cañada with access to safe drinking water. Supplying up to 1,000 liters of clean water per hour, the tower was installed alongside an AquaSan system – that disinfects latrines and surfaces with chlorinated water – as well as six faucets and three soap dispensers at the bottom of the tower so that children can wash their hands and maintain healthy hygiene habits.  

"The AquaTower brings peace of mind to us as mothers that our children are drinking clean, disease-free water," explained Blanca, mother of one of the students who attends the school.   

As part of the Starbucks Mexico Volunteering Program, 10 partners (employees) from areas stores installed the AquaTower and AquaSan systems in the Niños Heroes School. Partners also taught students about polluted water and provided educational hygiene materials which reinforced safe hand washing practices.

"The experience was incredible; we came together as a team, and we helped the community,” said Mauricio Sour, district manager of Starbucks store in Querétaro. “Interacting with the students through the educational workshops was very meaningful and reflected our company's commitment to strengthening our communities and nurturing the human spirit.”  

These workshops, which are tailored to the unique needs of each community, are part of Planet Water Foundation's approach to hygiene education for students, teachers and community members. Although water is a basic life necessity, Planet Water Foundation reports that access to clean drinking water remains a pressing issue for approximately 748 million people across the globe.  

At Starbucks, we take actions to strengthen our communities by listening, supporting, investing and uplifting in meaningful ways. Since 2011, The Starbucks Foundation has partnered with Planet Water Foundation to provide access to clean, safe drinking water and handwashing stations for communities in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. 

In early 2021, Starbucks Mexico partnered with Planet Water Foundation in Mexico to install its first AquaTower in the community of El Refugio, Aguascalientes. This has prevented the consumption of contaminated drinking water by children, to enable them to go to school. The water filtration system has been providing clean water to 500 residents of the El Refugio community (1,000 liters per hour) per day.