BORICUA COMMUNITY BUILDING CENTER PROJECT
Proyecto Agua del Aire en Puerto Rico
Building Community Water Access Through Atmospheric Water Generation
A five-site network placing Atmospheric Water Generators at trusted community organizations in Puerto Rico to provide and distribute drinking water to communities affected by water shortages and service interruptions.
Crisis at a Glance
7
Towns currently facing mandatory 48 hour
water rationing
150 Days
Reported without
regular water service
180,000
Customers affected by water rations
2.74 Million
People living in areas experiencing water shortages
Why This Matters
Puerto Rico’s Water Crisis Is More Than a Drought
PUERTO RICO WATER CRISIS
Puerto Rico’s current water crisis has developed through overlapping failures rather than one single event. Aging infrastructure, repeated pipeline breaks, electrical instability, low reservoir levels, drought, and weaknesses in the distribution system have combined to make dependable water service increasingly difficult for many communities.
The crisis intensified during 2026 as major infrastructure failures disrupted service while drought conditions continued to spread. A break in the 72-inch Superaqueduct threatened water service to more than 110,000 customers in June. By August, declining conditions at the Carraízo reservoir led to a 48-hour rationing plan affecting more than 180,000 customers across San Juan, Trujillo Alto, Carolina, Canóvanas, Loíza, Gurabo, and Juncos.
For some communities, the problem has lasted far longer than a scheduled rationing period. In Santurce, residents of one residential building reported going roughly 150 days without regular water service, while families spent thousands of dollars bringing in water to fill their cistern.
Direct Action
This is why the crisis cannot be understood only as a drought. Communities are dealing with both water scarcity and a fragile system for delivering the water that is available.
Proyecto Agua del Aire responds to this crisis by creating five community water sites where Atmospheric Water Generators can produce and distribute drinking water directly to communities affected by shortages and service interruptions.
Instead of waiting for every failure in Puerto Rico’s water infrastructure to be repaired, the project creates additional local points of access that can operate alongside the public system. Each site is intended to give a trusted community organization the ability to produce water locally and distribute it when regular service is interrupted or unreliable.
From crisis to direct action: five community sites designed to produce and distribute water where dependable access is needed.
Project at a Glance
5
Community Water Sites
$5,000
BCBC Initial Commitment
150 Gallons
Potential Daily Water Production
54,750 Gallons
Potential Annual Water Production
Our Selected Water Generation System
AKVO Water Block Mini
Atmospheric Water Generators pull humid air into the system, cool it until the moisture condenses into water, then pass that water through filtration and purification before it is stored for drinking-water use. The AKVO Water Block Mini provides a reliable local point of access for Boricua communities.
Puerto Rico island installation & technical support provided by JUAPI Energy
Project Mission
Proyecto Agua del Aire en Puerto Rico is a five-site pilot that will place Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG) at trusted community organizations to produce and distribute drinking water to communities affected by water shortages and service interruptions. The project is designed to create reliable local points of access while building a practical community response to recurring water insecurity in Puerto Rico.
How Atmospheric Water Generation Works
Atmospheric Water Generators pull humid air into the system, cool it until the moisture condenses into water, then pass that water through filtration and purification before it is stored for drinking-water use.
Humid Air
Cooling / Condensation
Filtration / Purification
Drinking Water
Why This Approach
Puerto Rico’s climate provides the humidity these systems need to operate, making Atmospheric Water Generation a practical supplemental source of drinking water when regular service is interrupted. Unlike emergency deliveries that depend on water being transported into a community, an AWG can produce water where it is installed when power and operating conditions are available.
The project does not replace Puerto Rico’s public water system or needed infrastructure repairs. It creates an additional local source that can help communities during periods when normal service is unavailable or unreliable.
BCBC Commitment
BCBC has committed the first $5,000 to help move the pilot from planning toward implementation.
Five Community Water Sites
Proyecto Agua del Aire will establish five community water sites in Puerto Rico. Potential host organizations will be considered based on community need, organizational capacity, reliable power, secure installation space, and the ability to safely manage water distribution.
Each site can move forward independently as the necessary equipment, power, testing plan, and support are secured, so a qualified site does not have to wait for all five locations to be finalized before moving forward.
CRES – Coalición para la Restauración de los Ecosistemas Santurcinos
1
Potential Community Site
Santurce, Puerto Rico
Local garden and hub focused on ecological healing, reforestation, and nature-based education for the community.
2
Casa Taft 169, Inc.
Potential Community Site
Santurce, Puerto Rico
A community civic center supporting local organizing, services, sustainability, and community development.
3
El Comedor de la Kennedy
Potential Community Site
San Juan, Puerto Rico
A nonprofit community organization addressing food insecurity through direct food distribution and support for families in Puerto Rico.
4
Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico
Potential Community Site
Carolina, Puerto Rico
A community-based youth organization providing educational, developmental, and support programs for children, young people, and families.
5
Taller Comunidad La Goyco
Potential Community Site
Santurce, Puerto Rico
A community cultural center developing education, health, arts, and neighborhood initiatives for Machuchal and the Calle Loíza community.
What Makes a Strong Host Site
Strong host sites are established community organizations with the infrastructure, local presence, and capacity to operate a community water system safely and consistently.
Reliable Power
Reliable electrical service or existing solar and battery capacity.
Community Presence
An established organization already trusted by local residents.
Secure Installation Area
A safe location for equipment, storage, and distribution.
Local Site Steward
A person responsible for oversight, records, and coordination.
Join the Project
Help Build the First Five Community Water Sites
Proyecto Agua del Aire is seeking community organizations, equipment manufacturers, businesses, renewable-energy partners, transportation providers, foundations, technical professionals, sponsors, donors, and others interested in helping move the first sites from proposal to operation.
Project Partners & Sponsors
Proyecto Agua del Aire is being built through collaboration. As organizations, businesses, sponsors, and technical partners join the effort, their contributions and roles will be recognized here.
NUYORICAN BOOKS
community Partner
Boricua Woman Owned children's book Publishiing House
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PUERTO RICAN FLAGS UP
community Partner
Puerto Rican
Social Media Influencer
community Partner
Puerto Rican Historian Author of Don Pedro Albizu Campos Biography
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about how Proyecto Agua del Aire works, what host sites need, and how organizations, businesses, and community members can participate.
What is Proyecto Agua del Aire en Puerto Rico?
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Proyecto Agua del Aire en Puerto Rico is a five-site network that will place Atmospheric Water Generators at trusted community-serving organizations in Puerto Rico. The goal is to produce and distribute drinking water locally to communities affected by shortages, rationing, and service interruptions.
How does an Atmospheric Water Generator make drinking water?
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An Atmospheric Water Generator pulls humid air into the system, cools it until the moisture condenses into water, and then treats the collected water through filtration and purification before it is stored for drinking-water use. Puerto Rico’s humid climate makes this technology particularly relevant as a supplemental source of water.
Who will receive the water produced by the project?
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Water will be distributed through participating community organizations to residents affected by water shortages and unreliable service. The purpose is to create additional local points of access where drinking water can be produced closer to the communities that need it.
How are the five community sites selected?
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Potential sites are evaluated based on community need, the organization’s ability to serve residents, secure space for the equipment, dependable power, water storage and distribution needs, and the capacity to operate the system responsibly.
JUAPI Energy is coordinating local site evaluations in Puerto Rico so electrical, solar, installation, permitting, water-quality, and infrastructure needs can be identified before a system is installed.
Does every site need solar panels and batteries?
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No. Solar power is not a requirement for every location. Each site will be evaluated individually.
Sites with reliable existing electrical service may be able to operate directly from the grid, while other locations may benefit from solar generation and battery backup to provide greater resilience during power interruptions. Final energy configurations will depend on the conditions and needs of each site.
How will the project make sure the water is safe to drink?
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Water safety is part of the project design. Each site will need appropriate filtration, sanitation, water-quality testing, maintenance, and recordkeeping before and during community distribution.
JUAPI’s site evaluations will also address water-quality requirements, permits, certifications, and other local requirements that may apply before a system begins operating. If testing or equipment performance raises a safety concern, water distribution will stop until the issue is resolved.
Who will maintain and service the equipment after installation?
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The project is developing a long-term maintenance plan that includes local operator training, preventive maintenance, technical support, and remote monitoring where available.
AKVO and JUAPI are also working through the final service and warranty structure for the systems. A three-year parts-and-labor warranty has been part of project planning, but final service terms are still being completed.
How is Proyecto Agua del Aire being funded?
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No. Atmospheric Water Generation is intended to be a complementary community water resource, not a replacement for Puerto Rico’s public water infrastructure or needed repairs.
The project creates local drinking-water capacity that can help communities when regular service is interrupted or unreliable. By producing water where it will be distributed, the project also reduces reliance on bottled-water deliveries as the only response to recurring shortages.