05/06/2026
𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐬.
When Water1st returned to Los Limones in 2026, we expected to check on pipes, tanks, finances, and repairs.
And the system was impressive.
The community water board showed us detailed meeting minutes and payment records. The system has more than $𝟐𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 for future maintenance and repairs. Residents reported 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟐𝟒 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬.
But what stayed with us most were the stories about life before water came home.
Before the project, women spent hours each day waiting in line at shared water sources and laundry areas. Some woke before dawn hoping to finish before their children woke up.
One resident, 𝐉𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐳, still remembers returning home from washing clothes and discovering her 18-month-old daughter had wandered outside searching for her.
Today, that daily risk is gone.
Laundry happens at home. Children are no longer left behind while water is collected. Time once spent waiting in line is now part of life at home.
At the 2015 inauguration, a community member read a poem titled “El agua siente” (“Water Feels”):
“𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭,
𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵…
𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥.”
More than a decade later, that sense of responsibility is still visible in how the community cares for the system—and for each other.
Read the full story:
https://mailchi.mp/water1st/pipedreams2026-0505
📷:
1️⃣ 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐬 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔).
With water at home, daily routines like laundry now happen at home.
2️⃣ 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐨𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 (𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟒).
Before the system, women often waited hours at shared sources to wash clothes and collect water.
3️⃣ 𝐉𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐳 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐬 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔).
Her story reflects what changed for families when water came home.
4️⃣ 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓).
A celebration of what the community built together—and a system that is still serving families twelve years later.
5️⃣ 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞, 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐬 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔)
Detailed records and regular meetings help ensure the system is well managed and built to last.
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