Steps for developing a successful water project - Rotary International

Published on: 25/08/2011

Ron Denham, chair of the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group, says the nonprofit world is becoming more aware that sustainability is critical to a successful water project. Sustainability means not only securing local support for a water project but also making sure the community can keep it going, he explains."The number of nonfunctioning wells in the world is mind-boggling," says Denham. "Rotarians and water agencies are becoming increasingly sensitive to local needs, local capacity, and the local ability to make things happen."Denham lists several keys to a successful water project:1. Conduct a local needs assessment.2. Identify international partner clubs that can participate in the funding and provide expertise to find the right solutions.3. Identify the most appropriate technology to address the issue  with the involvement of the community to sustain the project4. Provide for ongoing maintenance. Maintaining water quality requires the proper use of equipment and the right parts to keep it working.Denham recommends that projects include a training component to teach members of the community how to operate the equipment, as well as business skills to enable them to set up a committee or agency to collect water fees that can cover operations and repairs.

• Water projects can also involve hygiene education, Denham adds.
• How-to for sanitation
• During the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group’s World Water Summit in May, a panel on sustainable sanitation offered these tips for a good sanitation project:
• Simpler is better. Project designers should try to avoid overly complex tasks
• Establish realistic expectations of roles and responsibilities
• Projects should get strong buy-in from community members, for example by educating potential local partners about the issues to help them identify attainable solutions.
• Project designers and the community should have an accurate understanding of the problem based on evidence from surveys, focus group discussions, and assessments.

Source: Rotary International, 23 Aug 2011