Clean Water & Wells

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon once stated that more people are killed every year from dirty water than all forms of violence, including war.1 Globally, 785 million people lack even a basic drinking-water service, including 144 million people who are dependent on surface water, and at least 2 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with feces.2 That’s why we’ve been committed to drilling clean water wells since 2004. Using local engineering teams, we drill water wells in communities, schools, hospitals, and other public institutions that lack a clean and sustainable water source. Local leaders–women as well as men–are trained to maintain the water source long after the drilling is done. We also often construct solar-powered water systems for health clinics, providing access to the water needed to properly clean and disinfect facilities. These include a water well, solar panels to generate power for an electric pump, and a tower to store the pumped water—creating the ability to run water piped into a building. Further, “WASH in health facilities are the most basic requirements of infection prevention and control, and of quality care. They are fundamental to respecting the dignity and human rights of every person who seeks health care,” stated  António Guterres, UN Secretary General. That’s why WHI signed a commitment to clean water in health facilities with the Global Health Council and Global Water 2020 in July 2019