Mexico City Installs Solar, Rain Systems in 8,000 Homes

Mexico City is scaling neighborhood-level green infrastructure through the Casa por Casa initiative, installing rainwater harvesting systems, solar heaters, and domestic gardens in more than 8,000 homes to capture over 300 million liters of water annually and reduce reliance on groundwater. The push coincides with a proposed regulatory reform that would require new developments to guarantee at least 70% water sustainability — signaling tighter environmental compliance and higher standards for real estate, construction, and industrial projects across the capital.

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More than 8,000 homes in Santa Ursula and surrounding neighborhoods have been equipped with rainwater harvesting systems, solar water heaters and domestic gardens as part of a sustainability-focused initiative led by the government of Mexico City. Authorities said the installations are designed to capture more than 300 million liters of rainwater annually, contributing to aquifer recharge and reducing reliance on groundwater extraction.

Mayor Clara Brugada Molina announced the progress during the 50th round of the Casa por Casa (House by House) program, a territorial outreach initiative that combines urban improvement with environmental infrastructure. Brugada said the strategy focuses on expanding green infrastructure and improving living conditions at the neighborhood level.

“One of the program’s core objectives is to build sustainable communities through interventions in both public spaces and private homes,” Brugada said. She added that the measures aim to counteract decades of environmental degradation and strengthen the capital’s resilience to extreme climate events, including heavy rainfall and periods of severe heat or cold.

The rainwater harvesting systems are intended to help rebalance the city’s hydrological cycle by promoting infiltration, easing pressure on aquifers and improving local water security. Mexico City has faced structural water challenges linked to groundwater overexploitation, land subsidence and uneven distribution across boroughs.

In response, legislators in Mexico City have introduced a bill to amend the Law on the Right to Access, Provision and Sanitation of Water to require new developments to guarantee at least 70% water sustainability as a condition for service feasibility and occupancy permits. Presented by PAN Deputy Federico Chávez in the Mexico City Congress, the initiative would make it mandatory for new residential, commercial, industrial or mixed-use projects to submit executive plans for rainwater harvesting systems and water-saving ecotechnologies. 

“We propose a paradigm shift in public and private construction. To obtain service feasibility in new subdivisions, housing complexes, commercial, industrial or mixed developments, it will no longer be enough to request a connection; under this reform, it will be mandatory to present executive projects for the installation of rainwater harvesting systems and water-saving ecotechnologies,” he said.

Chávez stressed that seven out of every 10 liters consumed for the maintenance and operation of large developments must come from sustainable sources, rainwater harvesting or recycling, and that without sustainable water feasibility, no project may begin. The proposal also includes long-term compliance mechanisms, such as a lifetime guarantee on installed systems, real verification before occupancy authorization and a ban on administrative waivers or extensions.

The initiative comes amid mounting water stress in the capital. According to the lawmaker, aquifer overexploitation is causing subsidence of up to 30cm per year, more than 40% of potable water is lost to leaks before reaching households and 15% of residents face intermittent supply. “It is a painful irony: in a thirsty city, we let nearly 67% of annual rainfall go to waste due to lack of adequate infrastructure,” he said.

Casa por Casa Program Expands Lighting and Social Programs

As part of the Casa por Casa initiative, the city has also expanded lighting infrastructure across Santa Ursula and Pedregal. The urban upgrade plan — “Comunidad Iluminada, Comunidad Segura” (Lit Community, Safe Community” — has reportedly reached 60% completion, including interventions on 174 streets, equivalent to 52km, and the installation of nearly 2,500 new streetlights. Project completion is scheduled for late March, according to city officials.

The government also reported complementary social investments, including the Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol por Mi Escuela music education program, now active in three schools in the area. The initiative forms part of a broader policy linking urban regeneration with community development and public safety.

Cumulative data from the first 49 Casa por Casa visits show that authorities have covered 111 territorial units, serviced more than 6,500 city blocks and visited 344,622 homes. Officials estimate that these actions have benefited over 1.2 million residents.

During the Santa Ursula intervention, technical brigades provided direct assistance across 205 blocks, advising households on the use and maintenance of installed ecological systems. Authorities said the visits will continue in coordination with the local borough government to address demands related to water, drainage, lighting and public space.