BORICUA COMMUNITY BUILDING CENTER PROJECT
Proyecto Agua del Aire en Puerto Rico
Building Community Water Access Through Atmospheric Water Generation
A five-site pilot 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
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 pilot that will place Atmospheric Water Generators at trusted community organizations to produce and distribute drinking water to communities affected by water shortages and service interruptions.
How does an Atmospheric Water Generator work?
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Atmospheric Water Generators collect moisture from humid air, condense it into water, and move it through filtration and purification systems before it is stored for drinking-water use.
Who will receive the water?
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Water produced at participating sites will be distributed to communities affected by shortages, rationing, service interruptions, and unreliable access to drinking water.
How much water could the project produce?
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The project planning example assumes five sites operating equipment rated at 30 gallons per day each, for a potential total of 150 gallons per day and 54,750 gallons per year. Actual production will depend on the equipment, weather conditions, operating hours, maintenance, and power availability.
How can I support the project?
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Individuals can donate, recommend a potential community site, help share the project, or connect BCBC with businesses, organizations, and professionals that may be able to contribute equipment, services, funding, transportation, or technical support.
Can businesses or organizations contribute products or services instead of cash?
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Yes. The project welcomes in-kind support including Atmospheric Water Generators, filters, replacement parts, solar and battery equipment, transportation, electrical work, water testing, maintenance, engineering, and other professional services.
How are community sites selected?
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Potential sites are considered based on community need, organizational capacity, reliable power, secure installation space, and the ability to safely manage and distribute drinking water.
Does this project replace Puerto Rico’s public water system?
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No. Proyecto Agua del Aire is designed as an additional community water resource that can help provide access when regular water service is interrupted or unreliable.