In Mexico, the lack of access to clean running water for personal hygiene, cooking, and cleaning forces under-serviced communities to use unsafe water. This increases the risk of contracting cholera, diarrhea, hepatitis, dengue, and other diseases. Illnesses from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. In Tulum, with a significant pollution problem from tourist activity, contaminated water deeply threatens the health and safety of these communities.

Moreover, some are not connected to sewage water services that are part of the larger sewage network, causing problems like soil contamination, more contaminated water, and bad odors. Pollution provides nutrients to the Sargasso seaweed damaging our beaches and pristine waters. It also kills the flora and fauna from our Mesoamerican Reef System (SAM), the second-largest reef in the world.

We are animated and inspired by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those advocating for water sustainability, availability and sanitation. We truly believe that it is vital for the future of Tulum—and its people—that we champion for these causes together.