One of the most common and obvious needs around the world is clean water. Think about all the ways we use water: food production, household use, cooking, and more! The most important way we use water is drinking. You can live without a lot of things (at least for a time), but you need water […]

This is our final post for this clean water series. I have enjoyed sharing ideas for water systems that you can use water to strategically help your target people groups. Even if you are not a technical person and want to deal with construction of wells or water systems, there are some other ways you […]

In clean water projects, we usually consider three factors. First, we consider the source: where to get the water, and the amount and quality or the water. Second, we think about delivery: how to get the water to the people. A third and less well known component in a water system is an appropriate storage […]

Now that we’ve discussed some key factors in addressing water needs with a community, let’s talk about the common type of water systems we see worldwide. Each of these are good options depending upon the local situation and traditional practices. 1. Spring development/gravity flow systems Many communities locate close to a free-flowing spring where they […]

When we think about ways to get or obtain water, we need to consider several factors. The best designs for community water systems start by looking first at the needs and usage loads for the target community. Also, we need to take into account existing and traditional ways to get water and primarily work from […]

When we think about people, families, and communities in need of water in non-disaster events, four basic abilities help us evaluate the need: Ability to get water. Most communities in the world are located near natural transportation options and available resources like a good water source. As populations grow and communities develop, there are ever […]

As previously discussed, most of the water projects and problems we see throughout a typical year are primarily focused on clean drinking water. The problem is getting enough volume of water and a quality of the water fit for human consumption. We call this “potable” water – water safe for human consumption. Let’s assume we […]

When we think about water and water projects, we usually think about people gaining access to clean drinking water. While this is a huge part of water, we need to mention some other strategies on water and water projects. Other “water” uses and topics that we can think of relating to water are… Water for […]

Some of us had to read “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Coleridge in a literature class at one time or another. In the verse, Coleridge describes a thirsty sailor surrounded by an abundance of water but it is, of course, undrinkable. The world today lives in an abundance of water but the fact […]