The Water ATM - Bringing Clean Water to Rural Congo
Access to clean water is a basic human right, yet in the Democratic Republic of Congo, only 42% of the population has reliable access to it. That means 47 million people are without clean water—often forced to rely on unsafe sources or spend hours fetching water from distant springs. This situation poses immense challenges, especially for women and children, who bear the burden of collecting water, often facing dangerous conditions along the way.
Traditional methods of providing water, like spring capping and hand pumps, have had limited success. While spring capping offers a water source, it’s often far from the village, making access difficult and unsafe. Hand pumps, though an option, are expensive to install and prone to breaking down quickly. Community-based committees, while well-intentioned, often struggle with sustainability and fail to maintain the systems in the long run.
The good news? New, cost-effective solar-powered water systems are changing the game. By using Smart Taps (water ATMs) from Lorentz, we can now provide clean, affordable water with long-term, professional maintenance—all while empowering local communities to manage and maintain their water sources.
Solar Powered Water Systems : Bringing Clean Water to Rural Congo
At Durable Solutions, we are committed to transforming healthcare in rural Congo by providing solar-powered water systems that deliver sustainable, clean water to health centers and communities. Our expertise in installing, repairing, and maintaining water systems ensures that local health facilities have a reliable, long-term source of water, vital for both patient care and hygiene. By utilizing solar power, we eliminate reliance on unreliable grids, making water access both consistent and eco-friendly. Our borehole drilling, thorough inspections, and rigorous water quality control all contribute to healthier communities and more resilient health infrastructure.
Donate Now to Our Water Fund
Durable Solutions Congo’s solar water systems provide clean water 24/7 to communities surrounding health centers, making safe water available for about 2¢ per five liters. These systems improve daily life for patients, staff, and nearby families while helping health facilities become stronger community anchors.
The current priority is a $23,000 water system at Kambote Health Center, including four distribution stations. DSC has already installed successful systems at the PAX clinic, St. Martyrs clinic, Kamilabi 1 clinic, and Cerdes clinic in Kananga. Your support helps expand this proven model to another community in need of reliable clean water.
How It Works - A Simple, Smart Solution
At the heart of the Water ATM Project is a reliable, sustainable water system. The setup usually begins with a borehole (or sometimes a hand-dug well or capped spring). A solar-powered pump draws water from the source and pumps it into a modular water tank mounted on a water tower. These tanks come in various sizes, so they can serve different-sized communities, depending on the population and water needs.
Once the water is stored, it’s dispensed through Smart Taps—a modern, equitable solution to ensure everyone has access to clean water. The Smart Taps are strategically placed at key locations, such as health facilities, where they can support both healthcare and preventative services, all while ensuring that clean water is always available. They also make the water system easier to manage and maintain, thanks to professional oversight.
In areas where water systems already exist but aren’t functioning properly, the Water ATM Project can step in to provide a low-cost solution. By adding a Smart Tap and performing minor repairs, we can restore access to clean water and make the system fully functional again.
Key Benefits:
- Reliable Water Supply: Solar-powered systems provide consistent access to clean water, crucial for sanitation in health centers. Additionally, it provides a source of income enabling the health community to subsidize healthcare and maintain the water system itself. See our page about Water and Sanitation for more info.
- Sustainable Energy Source: Solar energy ensures ongoing water access, even in areas without reliable electricity infrastructure.
- Expert Borehole Drilling: We deliberately choose local, competent technicians when drilling boreholes to tap into underground water sources, guaranteeing a sustainable supply. Durable Solutions provides oversight during the entire process to ensure the quality and capability of each water source.
- Water Quality Assurance: We conduct rigorous testing and filtration to ensure that water meets health and safety standards.
- Health Center Support: Our systems install running water in health centers, enhancing hygiene practices, sterilization, and overall patient care.
- Long-Term Maintenance: We offer ongoing repair and maintenance to ensure systems remain functional and effective over time.
How People Access Water - Convenient and Affordable
Here’s where the innovation truly shines: each family that needs water can purchase a NFC key (a smart card) at a subsidized rate. They then buy credits for the key from a local seller, who can be anyone from a health center staff member to an entrepreneur with a smartphone app to manage the credits.
When families place their key on the Water ATM, the water starts flowing, and the credits are used. Each 2¢ of credit buys five liters of clean water. As a bonus, every family gets five liters for free every day, while health centers receive 80 liters for free to support healthcare needs.
This pay-per-use system is not only affordable, but it ensures that the water system can be self-sustaining in the long run—covering operational costs through the sale of water.
Sustainability and Community Empowerment
The Water ATM Project isn’t just about providing clean water today—it’s about creating a sustainable solution for tomorrow. The full installation of a system, including the borehole, piping, water tower, tank, solar pump, and Smart Taps, costs about $50,000. While initial funding comes from grants, the system is designed to be financially self-sustaining over time.
The sale of water generates around $300 per month for each site, with the income distributed as follows:
- 10% goes to the water seller (typically a local entrepreneur or health center staff)
- 30% is allocated for ongoing maintenance of the system
- 30% covers administration costs
- 30% is reinvested into the community for special projects and indigent care for those who need it.
Once we’ve installed 40 functional units, the administration and maintenance of the system becomes fully self-sustaining, providing an ongoing source of income and empowerment for local communities.
Sponsor a Project. Fund a Practical Solution.
Durable Solutions Congo connects donors with specific, high-impact projects that strengthen health care, expand clean water, power clinics, equip medical teams, and support communities in Congo. Visit our Sponsor a Project page to choose a project and see exactly what your gift can help make possible.
A Lasting Impact for the Future
The Water ATM Project is more than just a way to get water—it’s about transforming communities. By providing a reliable, affordable, and sustainable source of clean water, we’re not only improving health outcomes, but also empowering local entrepreneurs, reducing the burden on women and children, and creating new economic opportunities.
This is the power of the Water ATM Project: clean water, sustainable systems, and a brighter future for the people of Democratic Republic of Congo.
Our Partners
Our work is made possible through strong local and regional partnerships. We collaborate with organizations, community leaders, technical experts, and funders who share our commitment to practical, long-term solutions for water, sanitation, and community health. Together, we combine local knowledge, hands-on implementation, and sustainable design to create systems that communities can maintain and build upon.
