EL PASO, TX – September 29, 2026 – Earlier this year, El Paso-based Vida Water launched a multi-phase partnership with early childhood learning centers and daycares in El Paso to provide students and staff with improved, reliable drinking water in their schools. Owned by Texas Water Trade, Vida Water is dedicated to ensuring all Texans have access to water they can trust straight from the tap.
The multi-phase project includes water quality testing, installing water treatment solutions, and ongoing water quality monitoring and support. This project is the first of its kind for Vida Water, which began installing filtration systems in single-family homes in colonias in El Paso County in 2023 under a pay-what-you-can subscription model to better serve the hundreds of households that rely on trucked and bottled water for basic needs.
“Vida Water already ensures children have high-quality, trusted drinking water at home in colonias, and now, they can have that same quality and confidence at their school, where they spend so much of their day,” said Marcio Botto, PhD, Vice President of Operations for Vida Water. “Our mission is to expand access to reliable water solutions while prioritizing dignity and community well-being, and that mission is exponentially important for our most vulnerable community members.”
Every day, thousands of Texas households living in colonias and underserved communities lack access to safe drinking water because of a lack of water supply systems and adequate indoor plumbing. Compared to adults, children consume more water relative to their body weight, making them particularly susceptible to contaminants.
Vida Water began the new initiative this summer with rigorous data collection and water quality testing at up to 15 schools to better understand each facility’s specific conditions and to identify the most suitable treatment approach for improving taste and user experience. System installation will begin this fall, after which Vida Water will provide ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and technical support to ensure continued water quality.
Once systems are fully operational, Vida Water will begin a community engagement and education initiative for children and educators, including water conservation lectures, gardening events incorporating lessons on sustainable water use, engaging activities teaching waste reduction and pollution awareness, and a World Water Day celebration. The first event will be held in November.
“Texas is an incredibly diverse state, which means we are working hard to solve the wide-ranging water challenges Texans face every day, including access to reliable drinking water,” said Scott Moorhead, CEO of Texas Water Trade. “This project will give over 600 children and educators greater confidence in the water they drink at school by improving taste and acceptability, helping them stay focused on learning.”
Vida Water’s approach focuses on reducing exposure to potential drinking water contaminants at the point of consumption by installing, monitoring, and maintaining point-of-use (POU) water treatment systems that address site-specific water quality concerns and provide an immediate, practical intervention. Vida Water’s initial POU subscription service in colonias in El Paso County was made possible, in part, by a grant from Cummins Inc. The new, multi-phase project to improve drinking water for children is funded through a partnership with Cummins.
ABOUT VIDA WATER
Vida Water is wholly owned by Texas Water Trade, a nonprofit organization that leverages its expertise, network, and resources to resolve acute and urgent water crises affecting Texas communities. Founded in 2023, Vida Water deploys and maintains onsite water treatment technologies for households and schools through a service model that ensures ongoing water quality monitoring and support. Currently serving El Paso and the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Vida Water aims to provide all Texans with water they can trust straight from the tap. Learn more at vidawater.org.
ABOUT TEXAS WATER TRADE
Founded in 2018, Texas Water Trade is the state’s leading nonprofit organization focused on scalable, market-based solutions that address Texas’ interconnected water needs today and for the future. Texas Water Trade believes in the power of collaboration and works hand-in-hand with partners from every sector across Texas, co-developing innovative, incentivized programs to encourage smart water management and ensure a sustainable water supply for Texas’ people, nature, and economy. Learn more at texaswatertrade.org.
Join Our Email List
Keep up with the current.
