While one of the two Rarámuri settlements in which we are working already had running potable water thanks to a government project, the other one did not. Members of this settlement had to resort to drinking polluted water from a nearby stream and various seeps and pools. People were well aware that a distant upland spring (about 8 km north of the settlement) has good drinking water. They had in fact previously built a small holding tank there, with the intention of laying water pipes from it to the settlement. We agreed to provide the materials (PCV pipes and links), and community members agreed to put in the know-how and labor. The work involved not only an important engineering aspect (of laying the line and burying it in places over rocky ground), but also building community cooperation among several settlements along the route. To support this effort, which required taking time off from daily subsistence activities, we also provided food supplies to participating community members.

Work on this project began in August 2007 and continued on and off whenever possible, depending on weather conditions (summer floods, winter ice) as well as on seasonal availability of workers related to farming needs (planting and harvesting) and the occasional need to earn income in off-season by working outside the settlements. At present, all the pipe has been laid and the system is in operation. Community members have also taken the initiative to build a large holding tank near the settlement for long-term water storage, as a way of countering the effects of the dry seasons and the periodic droughts. Aware of the role of trees in holding soil and moisture, they also intend to do some tree planting near the spring, to help preserve their water, and to plant agaves around other smaller water sources to retain both soil and water.