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Water Filter Systems

Access to Clean Water in Rural Bangladesh
Improve Water Access

Installing water filters and deep tube wells in rural Bangladesh to provide safe drinking water to textile worker communities in areas where industrial effluent has severely contaminated groundwater sources.

THE PROBLEM

Textile factories in Bangladesh frequently release toxic industrial effluents directly into nearby rivers, canals, and groundwater sources without proper treatment. As a result, the water sources relied upon by surrounding rural communities for drinking, cooking, washing, and bathing become severely contaminated.

This pollution not only threatens the immediate health of these communities, causing waterborne diseases and chronic conditions, but also undermines their livelihoods and ability to work and generate income.

Overview
Country: Bangladesh
Partner: Agroho

Funders: Stanley/Stella & 24 Good Deeds Christmas Calendar 2024

THE IMPACT

In Numbers

0

water filters built

0 K+

people benefitting

Amira Jehia

FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Linkedin Envelope

WHAT WE DO

Our Solutions

To address this, water filter systems – combining biosand filters and deep tube wells –provide free, clean water from a tap 24/7. Prior water testing determines whether a biosand filter alone suffices or if a deep tube well is also needed. As part of our solution, we conduct
  • meaningful stakeholder engagement
  • regular water quality tests
  • training of a water committee and operator
Deep Tube Wells
Deep tube wells access groundwater from aquifers located around 600 feet (180 meters) or more below the surface, naturally protected by impermeable soil layers that block surface pollutants. This provides a safer, more sustainable water source where shallow groundwater is contaminated. The wells use electric submersible or hand pumps based on local electricity availability. With minimal maintenance, these wells typically last 10 to 15 years.
Biosand filters, based on a 200-year-old technique, use layers of sand, gravel, activated carbon, and brick chips to remove pathogens and suspended solids through natural biological and physical processes. They require no electricity, operating by gravity, and can treat various local water sources. If shallow groundwater is heavily contaminated, a deep tube well accesses safer, deeper water. With minimal maintenance, these wells typically last at least 10 years.
Piped water systems are a combination of the two above and deliver clean water to a much higher number of people, while protecting groundwater levels. They supply a cluster of different paras or villages with water from a single deep tube well. The extracted aater is routed through a Biosand Filter for purification and distributed to multiple tap stations, some of which also include a UV filter for added safety.
Improve Water Access

THE IMAPCT

Qualitatively

Access to safe & clean water

Ensuring reliable 24/7 access to safe and clean water, which strengthens daily well-being and supports a healthier living environment for entire communities.

Improved community health

By reducing exposure to waterborne pathogens and ensuring consistent water quality, overall health conditions improve significantly, lowering the prevalence of preventable illnesses.

Empowerment of women and girls

With the reduced burden of long and often unsafe water collection journeys, women and girls gain time and security, enabling greater participation in education, economic activities, and community life.

Restoration of natural resources

The system contributes to rehabilitating polluted water sources, promoting long-term environmental health and safeguarding vital local ecosystems.

“We had to fetch water from different places and were often subjected to insults. When relatives or guests visited, it became even more difficult and embarrassing for us. the water from the wells we had at home smelled bad. During the Bangla month of Chaitra-Boishakh, we often had no water at all. There are around 250 families living here, and we never had a reliable source of safe water. But now, after a piped water supply system was installed, our lives have truly changed. We are finally receiving safe and sufficient water, and we are doing much better.”

Promila Rani Malo (43 Years)

Makhulia, Savar, Dhaka

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Improve Water Access

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Water Filter Systems

1st Phase – Biosand Filters

Between 2019 and 2021, we installed ten Biosand Filters in and around Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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2nd Phase – Deep Tube Wells & Filters

In early 2022, water tests revealed more severe contamination in the shallower groundwater levels. As a result, we shifted to a combined solution using deep tube wells alongside additional water filters. Between 2022 and 2024, we installed 70 of these systems.

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3rd Phase – Piped Systems
Beginning in 2025, we introduced piped water systems that supply a para or village cluster from a single deep tube well. Water is routed through a Biosand Filter for purification and distributed to multiple tap stations, some of which also include a UV filter for added safety. In 2025 alone 40 of these systems were installed.
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