Water scarcity in Pachuca, Hidalgo has driven the continued and in many cases unregulated use of mine water as an alternative supply source. Following an initial awareness campaign focused on water quality and health risks, this second phase of the project aimed to understand how and why secondary school students and their families rely on mine water in their daily lives. It also aimed to evaluate the impact of a sustained educational intervention.

To this end, a structured survey was conducted with 20 students from a public school, gathering data on the main household uses of water (bathing, cleaning, cooking, drinking) and the level of awareness regarding its origin. At the same time, a series of participatory workshops were held, featuring hands-on activities such as case study analysis, collaborative mapping of water sources, and role-playing exercises. These sessions were designed to engage students and empower them to create their own educational materials posters, videos, and presentations explaining what mine water is, the health risks it poses, and how to identify signs of contamination.

The combination of quantitative diagnosis and participatory environmental education not only increased risk perception related to mine water, but also led to practical proposals from students: separating water by intended use, monitoring physical indicators (like color, smell, and taste), and sharing acquired knowledge with their families.

We conclude that environmental education programs, when continuous, context-sensitive, and actively participatory—can drive meaningful changes in attitudes and practices. However, it is essential to integrate these efforts into local public health and water management policies. Stronger alliances between schools, health institutions, and water authorities are needed to establish permanent community-based monitoring systems. The educational model applied here is adaptable to other water-insecure regions and paves the way for medium-term follow-up studies to assess the lasting impact on health outcomes and household behaviors.

Keywords: Water quality, Environmental education, Public health, Urban water insecurity, Risk awareness, Urban water insecurity.