50% of water projects in the communities we researched have failed.
A reality shared across most developing countries.
Our approach, built from 9+ years of research, delivers sustainable access to safe drinking water.
Watch the presentation on our approach to sustainable water solutions.
Our approach
An iterative research and
development cycle.
Our approach is grounded in an iterative research and development cycle that continuously refines our solutions, so they remain effective, sustainable, and tailored to the specific needs of the communities we serve.
We start with thorough research to understand the issues and identify potential solutions. From those findings, we build conceptual designs and develop them into actionable plans. Solutions are then piloted in real settings to test viability.
Data from each pilot is collected and analysed to assess effectiveness, refine what works, and learn from what does not.
Every project we deliver also sharpens the model behind it, so each new community benefits from everything we've learned before them.
Our framework for sustainable
water solutions.
Mapping and research.
Mapping enables us to identify the exact locations of communities suffering extreme water poverty, and to engage directly with them to understand the interrelated challenges they face. This generates the comprehensive data we use to evaluate each community's context and predict its sustainability rating, the foundation for designing a water solution tailored to their specific needs.
Explore the Target 6.1 Map →
Predictive modelling.
The Predictive Iterative Sustainability Model (PISM) is the innovative approach FairAction developed to determine whether a proposed water solution will last. PISM evaluates each community against 265 sustainability challenges, predicts its sustainability rating, and informs the design that follows. It tells us not only whether a solution can succeed, but what must be in place first for it to succeed.
Download the research publication →Architectural design.
Based on our research findings, analysed data from mapping, sustainability assessments, and community needs, we create the architectural design for the proposed solution.
This design process provides crucial information for budgeting and defines the overall project outcome, ensuring the final solution meets both functional and aesthetic requirements.
Download sample architectural designs →
Construction of smart water
infrastructure.
Based on the approved architectural design, we implement the construction of smart water infrastructure. The infrastructure is designed to be reliable and sustainable, delivering year-round functionality with greater than 97% reliability.
Community education and capacity-building.
Throughout the construction phase, we work with local technicians to enhance their skills in maintaining and repairing the infrastructure.
We also educate community members on sustainable water usage and how they can contribute to the maintenance of their infrastructure.
Water Committee and Kiosk Attendant.
Once construction is completed and before launching the project, we establish a local Water Committee and employ a community member as the Kiosk Attendant.
The Kiosk Attendant performs routine maintenance, serves beneficiaries at the smart water kiosk, and acts as a liaison between the community and our team, providing essential feedback on infrastructure performance and improvement needs.
Water sales.
The Kiosk Attendant, with the aid of our flow sensor and automatic shutdown device, sells water at an affordable price set by the community members themselves.
For those unable to afford it, we provide water credits.
Self-sustainability and ripple effect.
Every water solution we build is designed to fund itself. Water sales cover the cost of operations and maintenance, and any surplus revenue goes toward funding the next community's project. One project pays forward into the next. That is the ripple effect.
Where revenue falls short, our charitable fund steps in with water credits so households continue to access clean water without interruption. Either path keeps the network growing and no community is left behind.
Monitoring, tracking, and ripple effect.
FairAction uses IoT, or our automated image-verified water meter technology in low-resource communities where IoT isn't viable, capturing vital data such as revenue water, non-revenue water, and water credits.
This data ensures operational improvement and proactive maintenance and repairs, maintaining operational reliability throughout the infrastructure's designated lifespan.
Data for future infrastructure.
From the moment each project goes live, we begin tracking it. More than sixteen metrics are recorded continuously across every operating site, building a longitudinal dataset that grows with every new community we serve.
This data feeds back into our research and design process, refining how we plan, build, and operate the next generation of smart water infrastructure. Every project teaches the next one.
Clean water changes a mother's morning, a child's school day, a community's future. Help us reach the next one.
Safe water access is critical to a community's prosperity. Keeping water sustainable is a Fair action.