Clean Water Project

One of the most pressing problems facing rural villagers in Cambodia is a lack of clean drinking water. Currently, villagers and residents of remote areas drink from pools of standing water or from streams and rivers. In both cases, the water is contaminated with bacteria and polluted with waste. This problem intensifies during the dry season when water levels recede and residents must seek water, usually by foot, from distant locations. Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC) has developed a Clean Water Project to improve year-round water supply.

Existing Water Sources

According to the World Health Organization census of 2002, almost 80% of Cambodia’s 13 million people live in rural areas. Most of these villagers support themselves with their small rice fields producing only enough food to survive. Within these villages JWOC still witnesses the practice of villagers digging holes in the ground to collect rain water as a source of water which they use to bathe, cook and drink. This water is usually visibly discolored. Debris or trash commonly floats on top of the water surface, and this water is a potential breeding ground to many water-born illnesses.

Identifying Villages in Need

To identify the location to install the water wells, JWOC scholarship students scout locations based on the needs of some of the poorest rural villages. In Cambodia, there is no tax system to identify the earnings of each household or village. Therefore a member of JWOC must visit each potential village to see first-hand the conditions of the village. This assessment is based on consulting local village chiefs to determine what water sources are available and what common practices are used in the village. JWOC then determines the best place to install each well in order to maximize the benefit of the new source.

Construction

For the construction of each well, JWOC hires a local Cambodian contractor, who owns the equipment necessary for construction. The equipment consists of a gas powered, high pressure water hose that bores a hole roughly 100 feet into the ground where a pipe is placed down and a hand-pump attached at the top. These business owners then hire a small crew to help with the construction. After a well is completed, JWOC visits the site again and confirms that the water well is functional and complete. Time of construction can vary depending on many factors including location accessability and weather conditions.


Benefits of Clean Water

The benefits of a clean water source are tremendous for families in their day to day lives. With the completion of each well, roughly 30 villagers have a dependable water source year round to use for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry, and watering their crops during the dry season.

The locations are typically centered among four or five small homes, where 5 to 10 people live in each house. Therefore, all the families close to the well can benefit from the access to clean water.

How to Help

A donation of $100 (USD) will cover the construction and installation cost of one water well.

(An optional sign is also available for an additional $25 USD).

To make a donation, please download the following contribution form in PDF format (directions are included):

• Download Contribution Form (PDF, 100K)

If you would like more information about the Clean Water Project, please contact the Director.

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