One of the most pressing resource issues 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 canals. 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 more distant locations. Journeys Within Our Community (JWOC) has developed a Clean Water Project to improve year-round water supply.

According to the Cambodian Inter-Censal Population Survey (CIPS) of 2004, only 37% of the population has access to safe drinking water. Most villagers dig holes in the ground to collect rain water which they use to bathe, cook and drink. This water is usually visibly discolored and debris or trash commonly floats on surface. Additionally, this water is a potential breeding ground for many water-born illnesses.

Currently you can donate a well for either $120 or $300. The $300 wells can be installed in more difficult locations where locals have less access to clean water. By donating this amount you are providing a clean water source that will last for many years and provide for approximately 30 people. By western standards this is a small price to pay for such a vital resource, yet for the poorest Cambodian families, it is beyond their reach.

When you donate a well we send you photos not only of the completed well but also of the people who will be using it daily. In addition we include a Google Earth map which shows the exact location of the well you donated.

Many of our supporters like to donate wells in honor of or as a gift to a friend or family member. You have the option of having a sign made , with text of your choice, for an additional cost of $25. The sign will be placed next to the well you have donated.

Hand Pump Wells

JWOC installs hand pump wells in locations where they can be easily shared by multiple families. The water provided by the wells is safe, clean, and the amount produced is consistent throughout the year. 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 people have a dependable water source to use for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry, and watering their crops during the dry season.

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. The assessment is conducted based on identifing what water sources are available to the village. JWOC then determines the best place to install each well in order to maximize the benefit of the new source. The locations chosen are typically centered among four or five small homes, where 5 to 10 people live in each house.

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 into the ground and a cast iron hand-pump attached at the top. Time of construction can vary depending on many factors including location accessability, weather conditions, and the number of wells being constructed each week.

After a well is completed, JWOC visits the site again and confirms that the water well is functioning properly and tests the water for bacteria and arsenic. Fortunately, in the area around Siem Reap, arsenic levels in the soil have proven to be extremely low and do not pose a threat to those drinking the water. Cambodia has a national drinking water quality standard which says there should not be more than 0.05 mg/l of arsenic. We test the water to ensure any traceable levels are well below this amount.