For a long time, rural Ugandan fishing villages along Lake Victoria did not have easy access to clean drinking water. The lake is polluted by industrial waste and causes severe or fatal diseases when ingested. In 2015, the government of Iceland funded a 4-year Water, Sanitation and Health project to help the area, which included collaboration with the local district government, Water Mission Uganda and Grundfos.
The project drilled boreholes for safe groundwater and installed piped water systems with Grundfos’ solar-powered AQtaps in 39 villages, covering about 45,000 people. With this collaborative effort, after almost two years, the disease rate related to waterborne diseases is steadily decreasing.
For example, in Bugoba village, the number of diarrhoea cases among all age groups decreased by 45% between 2017-2019. Among children under 5 years old, it has reduced dramatically by 65%. In addition, village water committees are taking over the operation of the water systems. Water payments are used in the operation and maintenance of the systems to ensure sustainable and long-term operation.