Manchester City and Xylem are marking World Water Day with the launch of Rainmakers, a new YouTube series that highlights how the two organisations and Love.Fútbol worked together to deliver a rainwater‑capturing football pitch in Teotihuacan, a community with nearly 60,000 residents.
Designed to capture, store and reuse rainwater in an underserved community, the pitch provides a vital new water resource for residents, while offering a safe and inclusive place to play. Central to the system is a Xylem S1-200 water pump, which is powered by solar and capable of pumping more than 27,000 litres of water a day. The project demonstrates how the partnership is delivering practical, community‑focused water solutions far beyond Manchester.
“The Rainmakers project is a compelling example of how our partnership with Manchester City translates purpose into action,” said Javier Martin, Head of Brand & Partnerships at Xylem. “It is about creating tangible, lasting impact – capturing and reusing rainwater in a way that benefits communities and contributes to a more water-secure future. Alongside this, the work at the City Football Academy demonstrates what smart water management can look like in elite sport, and what can be achieved when strong partnerships turn sustainability ambition into real-world results.”
The Rainmakers series released today showcases the real-world impact of Manchester City and Xylem’s long-standing partnership, which is advancing water sustainability across club operations while educating more than 3,000 people through global community programmes.
The initiative in Mexico is one of several projects that Manchester City and Xylem have delivered together. At the City Football Academy in Manchester, the Club has achieved 100% water self‑sufficiency for pitch irrigation through the use of Xylem technologies. This approach reduces reliance on potable water and helps safeguard local supplies. Early results indicate these innovations have saved approximately 100 million litres of potable water over the past two years.
Reflecting on the project, Tom Pitchon, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, said: ‘This initiative reflects what our partnership with Xylem is all about—using our shared strengths to make a lasting difference in communities around the world. By blending Xylem’s technology with Manchester City’s community football expertise, we’re increasing access to both football and clean water for local communities. The Rainmakers project shows how football can be a force for good, delivering water security, education and safe spaces to play.
It’s a powerful example of the life-changing impact we can create together, and something we are incredibly proud to be part of’.
The Club is also piloting Xylem Vue, which provides real-time digital insight and greater control over water use across the site Initial findings are already demonstrating how smart metering and monitoring can reduce wastage and support continued optimisation of our water usage across the site.
This season, Manchester City and Xylem also launched Every Drop Counts, a campaign designed to bring the Club’s water resilience work to life through compelling storytelling and accessible water education.
By sharing its progress ahead of World Water Day, Manchester City aims to highlight not only the achievements to date but also the broader importance of water reuse, digital monitoring and smarter infrastructure across sport and wider society. Together, Manchester City and Xylem remain committed to leading by example—using the Club’s global platform and Xylem’s expertise to inspire responsible water use and demonstrate scalable solutions that can benefit football, cities and communities worldwide.
