World Vision's Clean Water Work

World Vision believes the global water and sanitation crisis can be solved within our lifetimes. That’s why we’re focused on providing clean water and sanitation to every man, woman, and child in every community we work in, including the most vulnerable populations in the hardest-to-reach places.

Our Impact

Thanks to the support of  World Vision donors around the world in 2020.

World Vision is the largest non-governmental provider of clean water in the world.

Fast Facts: Global Water Crisis

• It is estimated that women and girls spend a combined 200 million hours hauling water every day.
• The average woman in rural Africa walks 6 kilometers every day to haul 40 pounds of water.
• Every day, more than 800 children under age five die from diarrhea attributed to poor water and sanitation.
• 2.3 billion people live without access to basic sanitation.
• 785 million people lack access to clean water. This is about one in ten people on the planet.

Our Clean Water Approach

World Vision is the largest non-governmental provider of clean water in the world. World Vision’s model focuses on indigenous leadership. Because we invest an average of 15 years in a community, local people take ownership of the water points and learn how to repair them when they break down, making the project sustainable long after World Vision leaves a community. Water projects run in harmony with our other key areas of development: health, education, food, and economic development. This approach to clean water tackles the root causes of poverty, enabling children to experience fullness of life. 

In each area, World Vision works with local leaders to determine the best sustainable solution to provide clean water, whether it’s a borehole well, irrigation system, or solar panel—every community is different.

Drill Rigs These trucks traverse great distances to drill hundreds of feet underground to tap into water aquifers.	Wells Hand pumps in the middle of a community allow water to be generated without electricity.
Solar Pumps These panels generate energy from the sun to pull water from pumps and up into storage tanks, and then allow gravity to feed water to various communities.	Pipelines Pipelines transport water from access points and allow for water distribution across hundreds of miles.
Rain Catchments Roofs and other kinds of catchments collect rainwater into a storage tank for treatment and distribution.	Water Kiosks From catching rainwater to receiving water from pumps or pipelines, community members fill up jugs for a small cost.
Latrines & Handwashing Sanitation and hygiene are promoted by community leaders and practiced with ventilated, improved latrines and handwashing stations.	Repair Mechanics Local technicians and water users association members are elected to maintain water projects for long-term sustainability.

Go Deeper

World Vision's Community Development Model

2020 WASH Report

2021-2025 WASH Business Plan