WaterAid
WaterAid is an international non-governmental organization, focused on water, sanitation and hygiene. It was set up in 1981 as a response to the UN International Drinking Water decade. As of 2025, it is operating in 30 countries.
The organisation was first established by the UK water industry on 21 July 1981 as a charitable trust at their main office premises in London and established its first projects in Zambia and Sri Lanka. In 2010, it became a federation, comprising, as of 2025, members in Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Sweden, the UK and the US, and regional offices and country programmes in a further 23 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Activities involve providing people with clean water, safe sanitation, hygiene behaviour change and advocacy with governments and water utilities. Its income has moved from £1 million per annum in 1987 to £113 million in 2018–19.
History
WaterAid was founded in 1981 by members of the UK water industry at the Thirsty Third World conference held in London. WaterAid was formally established as a charity in the UK on 21 July 1981. King Charles III has been its president since 1991. Other members were established as follows: WaterAid America and Australia in 2004, Sweden in 2009. In 2010, the organisation became a federation and established the WaterAid International Secretariat. In 2014, WaterCan/EauVive, an NGO founded in Canada in 1987, became WaterAid Canada and joined the federation.In 1993 WaterAid began work on its 1000th project and also agreed to fund the Hitosa Gravity Scheme in Ethiopia. The Hitosa scheme was the largest single water supply scheme implemented in Ethiopia at the time, reaching 50,000 people.
In 2003, WaterAid was named UK charity of the year at the Charity Times Awards. Also, in November 2006 WaterAid said that it was "Britain's most Admired Charity 2006", as voted by its peers in the voluntary sector. WaterAid came top of the category followed by Save the Children and The Samaritans. Andrew Cook, then WaterAid's Director of Communications and Fundraising said "We are delighted to have won this prestigious accolade. This award is a testament to the tireless work of all WaterAid's staff and volunteers both in the UK and internationally". WaterAid was also a Stockholm Water Prize laureate in 1995.
In 2009, a new Global Strategy was launched, with the target of reaching 25 million more people across 30 countries by 2015. By 2011, WaterAid's 30th anniversary year, they had reached almost 16 million people with safe water and over 11 million with sanitation. In 2015, WaterAid launched 2015-2020 Global Strategy and its mission is to transform lives of the poorest people by improving access to sanitation, hygiene and safe water.
In February 2022, WaterAid WaterAid launched its first legacy campaign, "What Jack gave," concentrating on will donations. Legacy income currently accounts for approximately 10% of WaterAid's total income.
Fundraising
WaterAid has been associated with the Glastonbury Festival since 1994. In 2006 the festival's founder Michael Eavis and his daughter Emily visited WaterAid's work in Mozambique and by 2007 130 WaterAid volunteers helped at the festival. In 2011, there were around 200 WaterAid volunteers present. In 2016, by which time there were over 500 WaterAid volunteers at Glastonbury, the charity introduced Talking Toilets which gave out information voiced by celebrities such as Cerys Matthews and Brian Blessed.Among WaterAid's many fundraising events is 'Coast Along for WaterAid', a sponsored walk along sections of the South West Coast Path, which took place annually between 2005 and 2012. In 2010 the then UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown took part.
In 2012, WaterAid partnered with Waterlogic to help raise funds for the poorest communities in the world, to provide them with clean and sanitary water. Waterlogic's Firewall technology purifies water and destroys harmful bacteria. Waterlogic pledged US$225,000 to WaterAid over 3 years.
Fundraising events and initiatives in 2013 included The WaterAid200 Mountain Challenge as well as various running, cycling and other sporting challenges as well as Street fundraising.
WaterAid is working with Team Water to launch a fundraiser for clean drinking water. The campaign goal is to raise $40,000,000 to provide 2,000,000 people with clean water. In 2025, Team Water reached its goal of $40 million USD to give 2 million people around the world access to clean and safe drinking water.
The organization also receives direct funding from a variety of corporations, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions. Notable donors include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Boeing, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Google, Mercy Corps, New Venture Fund, PepsiCo, Pfizer and the World Bank Group.
Activities
WaterAid works in partnership with local organisations in 34 countries in Africa, Asia, Central America and the Pacific region to help poor communities establish sustainable water supplies and toilets, close to home, and to promote safe hygiene practices. It also works to influence government water and sanitation policies to serve the interests of vulnerable people and to ensure water and sanitation are prioritised in poverty reduction plans. As a matter of policy, WaterAid supports public ownership and control of water supplies but does not take a particular view regarding public, community or private participation in service provision.COVID-19 response
In collaboration with Unilever, the Hygiene and Behavior Change Coalition extended its efforts to combat the Omicron and other COVID-19 variants. It maintained a steadfast commitment to implementing hygiene behavior change initiatives and promoting confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine.During Phase 1 of the project, six countries, namely Ethiopia, Ghana, Nepal, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Zambia, were chosen to receive mass handwashing facilities and hygiene essentials, benefitting a total of 152 million people. In Phase 2, Nigeria was designated for its prior involvement in promoting hygiene behavior change concerning COVID-19, supported by the Heineken Africa Foundation.
Zambia
WaterAid first started work in Zambia during the 1992–1994 drought. Since then, the organization has expanded its operations to seven districts in the country, five of which are in the Southern Province while the other two are Kafue in Lusaka Province and Kaoma in Western Province. The organization spends about ZMK8–9 billion annually on projects there, and have since provided 42,600 people in Zambia with access to clean, safe water.Efforts in Monze District
WaterAid is working with the government to help extend access to safe water, sanitation and improved hygiene for rural communities in Monze District. Sichiyanda is one such village in the Monze district where efforts are in progress. Projects in the village began in 2001 and the community worked together to dig a well with a dedicated bucket and windlass. Hygiene education is also taking place, where villagers are taught to keep areas clean by building dish racks and rubbish pits and ensuring that there are no stagnant pools of water where mosquitoes can breed. In addition, 28 latrines have already been constructed with more underway.Such programmes have led to significant improvements in the lives of villages in rural Monze. The building of wells has led to time savings for women and children. For women, much of this newly available time has been put to productive economic activities like basket weaving and pottery making for use and sale. For children, it has led to increased attendance in schools. In light of this, WaterAid has since put up a tender request for an additional 32 boreholes to be drilled in Monze.
Milenge Self Supply Project
While most of WaterAid's projects have been subsidized, the Milenge Project stands out for being one that is self-supplied. It has been possible to stimulate real demand in the district, and this means rural water supply upgrading can take place with no subsidy for materials. WaterAid is now working in four wards of Western Milenge on Self Supply, and 16 masons have already been trained, having attended two separate one-month courses at Mansa Trades Training Institute. Besides being trained technically, these masons are also trained to work together and on how to promote their services. They speak to households independently, and some 95 well owners have since expressed interest in their services. Moreover, because these areas are some of the poorest in Zambia and the rural population is on average poorer than those in other piloting countries, such a response is truly impressive.America
WaterAid becomes a global federation, opening offices in North America and Australia. WaterAid America's office is in New York and manages programs in Latin America.India
WaterAid India is a registered not-for-profit as a Section 8 company under the Companies Act of the Government of India. WaterAid India is determined to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere in the country.WaterAid started working in India in 1986 and since 2022, started working with communities in rural and urban areas through direct implementation. It is a full service organisation operating with a local board and diverse independent teams covering programme strategy and implementation, finance, resource mobilisation, policy and technical support, and human resource management.
WaterAid India works closely with central, state, and local governments, individual and corporate donors, philanthropists, CSO partners, academics, and media. Thanks to its supporters and donors, they have reached millions of people with these three essentials – clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene – enabling communities to unlock their potential to break free from the cycle of poverty and to change their lives for good.
WaterAid India works closely in local communities to utilise low-cost technologies to deliver sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene solutions to the most vulnerable. WaterAid's vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.
The organisation has grown in its significance in assisting the most marginalised in both rural and semi-urban areas. In the financial year 2023-24, WaterAid India covered over 11 states, rendering their services to the communities that needed help most.