Alsea Foundation, The Starbucks Foundation and World Vision announce partnership with Planet Water Foundation to guarantee access to clean water for vulnerable communities

• In the next five years the organizations will install 25 AquaTower systems, benefiting up to 45,000 people from various regions in Mexico and other markets.
• The investment will be more than $437,000.
• The filtration system for each tower will produce 1,000 liters of clean water every hour.

Mexcio City - Today Alsea Foundation, The Starbucks Foundation and World Vision Mexico announced they will install 25 AquaTower water filtration systems over the next five years, through their partnership with Planet Water Foundation. This initiative will guarantee access to clean and safe water for up to 45,000 people in various communities across Mexico and in markets where Alsea operates Starbucks stores.

The AquaTower systems to be installed will feature a three-stage filtration system, which will allow them to produce 1,000 liters of clean, safe drinking water per hour, and include integrated soap dispensers so that children in the community can wash their hands. The projects will also include the implementation of a hygiene and health education program to encourage behavioral change regarding water use, as well as a system called the AquaSan, which provides surface disinfection capabilities.

“We are sensitive to the situation that many of our communities are suffering from water scarcity, a basic element to preserve life,” said Ivonne Madrid, Director of Alsea Foundation. “We are grateful for the partnership with The Starbucks Foundation, World Vision Mexico and Planet Water Foundation as we know this project will change the lives of tens of thousands of people, ensuring they have access to clean water every day."

“We believe that access to clean and safe water is a basic right, which is why we have collaborated with Planet Water Foundation for more than 10 years, starting in Indonesia and recently expanding to Latin America,” said Alicia Vermaele, director of The Starbucks Foundation. “We are proud that this new initiative will accelerate access for communities in Mexico, Colombia and other places where clean water is lacking, with the help of our local Starbucks partners (employees) as volunteers, who know their communities best."

Each water tower will be installed by Starbucks volunteers and other Alsea employees, under the direction of Planet Water Foundation. Volunteers will also conduct a water hygiene and health education program with students and community members to help create changes in behavior, beliefs and knowledge about life-saving hygiene practices.

"At World Vision we are convinced that access to water is a fundamental element to help the children of Mexico reach their full potential. This alliance will help transform the lives of dozens of vulnerable communities and open new opportunities for their development," said Ana Paula Fernandez del Castillo, President of the Board of World Vision Mexico.”

“We are extremely grateful for the support from Alsea Foundation, World Vision Mexico, and our long term partner The Starbucks Foundation in helping us address challenges around access to clean water in Latin America” said Mark Steele, Founder & CEO, Planet Water Foundation. “We are looking forward to helping transform the lives of impoverished communities as we expand our footprint in the region.”

These efforts kicked off this month when, in celebration for World Water Day, Starbucks partners in Cundinamarca, Colombia helped to install the first AquaTower in Colombia. In April, during Starbucks Global Month of Good, Starbucks partners in Mexico will install two towers in Oaxaca and Puebla, Mexico.

Access to clean water is a growing problem worldwide. According to UNICEF and the World Health Organization, 2.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water services. During 2022, Mexico faced a water supply crisis, especially communities in the northern part of the market.