Public schools across Puerto Peñasco benefit from free purified water via coordinated efforts of Rotary, OOMAPAS, and the City
World Water Day earlier this Spring provided the perfect showcase for launch of the water awareness program “El agua te cuida, ¡Cuídala!” of the local Rotary Club Mar de Peñasco, water department (OOMAPAS), the City, along with public schools.
The water awareness campaign “Water takes care of you, Let’s care of it!”, which kicked off at the Nuevos Caminos kindergarten on March 22nd, quickly flowed into public preschools, elementary schools, and jr. highs, including ongoing presentations at area high schools into late May. Educational coordinators are also sitting down this summer with the group of “Guardianes del Agua” at the UTPP vocational university to further promote the overall campaign.
Mar de Peñasco Rotary Club president María Concepción Peralta stressed these coordinated efforts have led to the success of a water purifying plant meant to supply free drinking water to all of Puerto Peñasco’s public schools. The plant itself was made possible via a $60,000 USD global grant through international partner Rotary clubs in Utah and the Rotary Foundation.
Peralta detailed the water purifying plant, located on the corner of Ave. Luis Encinas and Calle 21, is operated by Municipal Water (OOMAPAS) and provides free drinking water to all public schools – from preschool through university – along with staff and teachers, benefiting over 25,000 people across the community.
OOMAPAS Director Héctor Acosta Félix emphasized the goal to continually provide purified drinking water to area schools became a reality this past academic year, through joint efforts with the local Rotary Club. He stressed during the school year between 10,000 to 13,000 liters of high-quality purified drinking water are distributed to public schools in Puerto Peñasco weekly, numbers which climb in the hotter months. He encouraged students from across the community to be “water inspectors” in further promoting a culture of conserving water at home while highlighting its appropriate use.
Similarly, City Secretary Miguel Ángel Maciel Félix noted the mayor has instructed to see that no public school lack drinking water. Following pandemic closures and online learning in recent years, this goal was finally achieved this past academic year through these coordinated efforts with Rotary, culminating in the water purifying plant operated by OOMAPAS.
Thirst for Education!
It is worth noting the OOMAPAS operated water purifying plant now houses a water dispenser so the general public can help sustain the overall program to provide drinking water to public schools by filling-up water bottles there. In this way, the entire community – and visitors alike – can make sure public schools across Puerto Peñasco continue to receive free drinking water! Schools (pre-school through jr. high – with high schools ending earlier) run through July 21st this year, starting up again around the 3rd week of August.
Location:
Ave. Luis Encinas – corner with Calle 21
24 hr water dispenser *Exact change, por favor
- Garrafon (5 gallon jug) 10 pesos
- ½ garrafon 5 pesos
- Gallon 3 pesos
