100,000 people in 18 departments of the country can now enjoy safe drinking water thanks to the water security efforts of Grupo Argos Foundation

• This Friday, July 19, Grupo Argos Foundation will reach this significant milestone with the delivery of a Towe of Life in the municipality of Turbaco, Bolívar.
• This achievement reaffirms the organization’s commitment to water security for rural communities in the country, where the deficit in access to safe water exceeds 60%. By the end of 2023, the Foundation had benefited over 44,000 people, and so far this year, it has surpassed that number, representing a 57% increase in the first seven months of 2024.
• In total, Grupo Argos Foundation has invested COP 5.7 billion between 2020 and 2024 to achieve its goal of providing safe water solutions to communities in Colombia.

This Friday, July 16, Grupo Argos Foundation achieved the record figure of 100,000 people benefiting from safe water access solutions through its Aquavida program. This initiative focuses on rural communities in Colombia, where 60% of the population lacks access to this vital resource. Through this program, the organization has promoted alternative, innovative, and cost-effective solutions that help close this gap and directly contribute to improving the quality of life for thousands of people in the country.

This time, the focus was on the community of Turbaco, Bolívar, where the Foundation will be delivering a Tower of Life in the morning hours, benefiting more than 2,300 people in this community. The Tower of Life will be located at the Docente de Turbaco School. These water towers are high-capacity solutions capable of filtering and storing the resource, providing public access to the communities.

“We aim to bring safe water access closer to thousands of Colombians in the rural areas of the country who, despite living near large bodies of water, cannot access it. Our goal for 2030 is to reach half a million people, directly contributing to their quality of life.”

Maria Camila Villegas
Executive Director, Grupo Argos Foundation

Grupo Argos Foundation team includes water and community intervention specialists who work closely with communities to understand their context and propose solutions to ensure access to this resource. They also promote improvements in hygiene practices and health conditions through the use and consumption of water in optimal conditions.

Grupo Argos Foundation conducts follow-up visits to communities to carry out impact studies and measurements. These studies have shown that, thanks to the use of water filters, 99% of beneficiaries have reported an improvement in the perception of water for consumption, a reduction of over COP 300,000 per month in expenses associated with water purchase and treatment, and a 56% decrease in waterborne diseases, due to the elimination of 100% of gastrointestinal bacteria.

Between 2020 and 2024, Grupo Argos Foundation has benefited more than 100,000 people with access to water in the departments of Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Boyacá, Cauca, César, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Sucre, Valle del Cauca, and Tolima. Among the beneficiaries, 368 educational institutions have been impacted.

In total, Grupo Argos Foundation, together with Cementos Argos, Celsia, and Odinsa, has invested COP 5.7 billion in the implementation of this program, which is carried out through partnerships with major national and international organizations such as Ekofil, Siemens Foundation, Agua por la Vida Foundation, Iwanna Green, UES Valle, CAWST, University of Antioquia, and Eafit University.