The Rain Harvesting program in CDMX, designed to reduce water shortages, has been suspended in 2025 despite an allocated budget and past success in installing over 73,000 systems.
Mexico City’s Rain Harvesting program, once celebrated for its innovation and global recognition, has come to an unexpected halt in 2025—even as the capital continues to grapple with a worsening water crisis.
Launched in 2019 by the city government, the program was designed to provide rainwater harvesting systems (SCALL) to homes in water-scarce areas across 11 municipalities. By capturing and filtering rainwater, the systems allowed residents to use the stored water for cleaning, flushing toilets, and other household tasks, reducing their reliance on costly water deliveries from private tanker trucks. Some of these trucks charge as much as 2,000 pesos for 10,000 liters.
But this year, the program’s once-active installation brigades have vanished from neighborhoods. According to a source within the Secretariat of the Environment (Sedema), which oversees the initiative, the program has been suspended indefinitely.
“The operating rules were no longer published this year,” said the source, who helped implement the program under the previous administration. “They saw that few families were interested in installing storm drains, even though they were free, and they decided to stop offering them. We don’t know if there will be a resumption—it didn’t happen with these rains.”
Despite the setback, the 2025 city budget earmarked 180 million pesos to the Public Environmental Fund, a pool of resources traditionally used to fund the rain harvesting program. But so far this year, no new systems have been installed, and no official hiring calls were made for firefighters or installation crews—typically a routine step early in the calendar year.
The city’s Secretariat of the Environment has not issued a public explanation, and multiple attempts by the press to seek comment have gone unanswered.
Experts Urge Maintenance of Existing Infrastructure
With no new installations on the horizon, water experts are calling on the government to shift focus toward maintaining the tens of thousands of rainwater systems already in place.
“Because the infrastructure is already in place, the investment was very high, and it’s important to ensure its functionality; it alleviates the city’s water stress,” said Jorge Fuentes of the Water Advisory Council.
Fuentes and other members of the council, including civil society group Agua Capital, have long supported the program. Agua Capital helped install 150 rainwater catchers in homes and schools, and reported a noticeable drop in residents’ need for water deliveries.
“When we installed them, they told us they stopped calling the trucks—a business that grew during the drought in the Cutzamala System,” one member of Agua Capital said.
In recent years, the Cutzamala reservoir system—one of the city’s main water sources—has experienced record lows due to prolonged droughts and overuse, further justifying the urgency of local rain capture solutions.
Record of Success and Recognition
The Rain Harvesting program, originally developed with help from nonprofit Isla Urbana, has been one of the most tangible sustainability efforts in the capital in recent memory. From 2019 to 2024, a total of 73,021 systems were installed in water-stressed areas of Mexico City. Although short of the original six-year goal of 100,000 units, the program made significant headway.
Annual program budgets hovered around 200 million pesos, with a peak allocation of 418 million pesos in 2022, allowing installations to jump from the usual 10,000 units per year to 21,454.
In addition to residential installations, the government expanded the initiative to schools in 2023 and 2024. With an additional budget of 300 million pesos, rain collectors were installed in 1,801 public schools across all of Mexico City’s districts. Sedema reports these school systems now capture 918 million liters of rainwater annually, significantly easing pressure on municipal water supplies.
The program was internationally recognized, receiving an award from ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – for improved urban water management and for helping reduce domestic burdens on women, who often shoulder the responsibility of managing household water supplies.
Missed Opportunity Amid Crisis
The program’s abrupt pause in 2025 comes at a time when many environmentalists argue it is needed most. Mexico City continues to face water scarcity, worsened by climate change, outdated infrastructure, and uneven water access across districts. For families who previously benefited from rain catchment systems, the sudden disappearance of the program raises concerns about long-term water security.
Without official word from Sedema, speculation grows over whether the suspension is temporary or indicative of a broader shift away from environmental and community-based water solutions.
While government data shows budget allocations remain available, political will—and public engagement—may be the missing ingredients. Experts emphasize that rather than abandoning the project, the government should reinvigorate public interest through education and outreach, while committing to the upkeep of the tens of thousands of existing units.
For now, the rooftops of Mexico City stand empty—catching rain but no longer capturing the momentum of what was once one of the capital’s most celebrated sustainability initiatives.
