Program
Community Development
Safe drinking water right to a tap in every home. We build it with residents, a village water committee runs it, and we stay involved for years.
How the program works
We work in villages where water is hard to come by, from the hills of Dairi and the shores of Lake Toba and Samosir Island to the dry country of Kupang Regency. Each system is designed for that village's water source and conditions, then built together with its residents. More than 180 community water systems are now in place.
All the way to every home
Every system we build in Indonesia delivers water to households, rather than stopping at a single public tap. Families no longer have to carry water. Residents pay a small fee for operation and maintenance, and village governments often help fund the household connections.
Appropriate technology
Water is filtered, then given a small, measured dose of chlorine (0.2–0.5 ppm residual), enough to keep it safe all the way to the tap. Where the source contains iron and manganese, we add a process to remove them. Where electricity cannot be relied on, pumps run on solar panels or water-driven turbines. Water quality is tested regularly.
Run by the community, supported for the long term
Before building anything, we agree on roles and responsibilities with village leaders in writing. Residents form a village water committee and health volunteers, whom we train. Since 2015 we have also monitored some systems remotely. Water output, pump performance and water quality show up on our screens, so faults can be fixed before the water stops.
In schools too
Every project includes hygiene education, and in schools we install handwashing stations for students and teachers.
Four stages of our work
- 1
Survey and agree with the village
We come and listen to residents first. Then we agree on a plan with village leaders.
- 2
Building together
Residents and our engineering team work side by side to build the system.
- 3
Treated and tested
We only let the water flow once it has been filtered, chlorinated and has passed a quality test.
- 4
Ongoing support
Once the water is flowing, we keep supporting the village water committee, with 12 visits per month.
