Arca Continental Boosts Rainwater Harvesting Across Schools

As part of the Escuelas con Agua program, Arca Continental and Fundación Coca-Cola México have installed 14 new rainwater harvesting systems in schools across Monterrey, raising the total to 25. Implemented in collaboration with the municipal government, the systems help institutions supplement their water supply by capturing and treating rainwater during the wet season for daily nonpotable use. The announcement was made at Escuela Preparatoria No. 9 of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, one of the beneficiary campuses.

Each system collects rainwater from rooftops, filters it, disinfects it with chlorine, and stores it in 5,000-liter tanks for use in sinks, toilets, irrigation and other nonpotable applications. According to Arca Continental, the 25 systems now in operation allow Monterrey schools to capture more than seven million liters of rainwater annually—the equivalent of 713 water trucks—benefiting more than 15,000 students. Nationally, 180 Escuelas con Agua have been inaugurated, reaching more than 90,000 people as part of a broader initiative spanning over 900 schools.

“We believe a sustainable business model must generate more than just economic value. With Escuelas de Agua we reaffirm our commitment to being a good neighbor in the communities where we operate, making a positive difference through access to water,” said Jesús Lucatero, Arca Continental México’s director of public affairs, communication and sustainability. 

The program complements other water initiatives led by Arca Continental in northern Mexico, where scarcity and public health concerns are pressing issues. In October, the company released early results from a cross-border project aimed at intercepting waste in waterways feeding the Río Bravo. The river—running more than 3,000 km from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico—supplies water to over 16 million people and 740,000 hectares of farmland. Working with Coca-Cola México and Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, Arca Continental installed floating barriers at strategic points in Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, selected by local authorities using hydrological and environmental criteria.

The company reports the systems have intercepted more than 2.2 tons of waste, benefiting over 675,000 residents. In Laredo, barriers on the Zacate Creek collected more than 900 kg of trash and 90 kg of recyclables. In Nuevo Laredo, they removed about 1.3 tons of waste, including 180 kg of recyclable materials. The technology was developed by the Osprey Initiative, which designed and installed the floating barriers.

“The environmental care of the Río Bravo is a shared responsibility, and only by working together can we ensure a sustainable future for our communities,” said Tania Taboada, general coordinator of environmental management for Nuevo Laredo, speaking for Mayor Carmen Lilia Canturosas. Morris Smith, vice president of public affairs, communications and sustainability at Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, added that the effort highlights the importance of protecting shared water sources: “This reflects the power of collaboration—two cities and two countries working together for the Río Bravo.”

José Juan Estrada, Arca Continental México’s director for the northeast region, said the initiative shows how cross-border cooperation can deliver measurable results in preserving shared resources.