Project Status



Project Type:  Protected Spring

Regional Program: Western Kenya WaSH Program

Project Phase:  Reserved
Estimated Install Date (?):  2025

Project Features


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The 203 people of the Mwitoti Community struggle to access sufficient water every day. Without the benefit of clean water access, life for everyone is difficult.

Their primary water source is a spring that was previously protected but is currently in disrepair, which poses significant challenges. It is hard to tell at first glance, but the water is not filtered correctly, does not flow from the pipes at the correct speed, and becomes cloudier as the day progresses. And because the spring box doesn't drain properly, people must stand in water, covering their feet while collecting.

These issues lead to long wait times for water with questionable quality. However, since community members do not have another local alternative, they must still use the spring.

"I spend much time fetching water before going to school, which makes me go late to school and miss part of the lessons. Like last week [a] teacher on duty was very strict and punished me for going late to school. When this water source is redone, I will be spending little time fetching water, thus improving in my class work because the rest of the time will be channeled into [my] education," said 11-year-old Dennis O., seen below at the spring.

"This water point is broken, and for this water to be safe for drinking, we have to redo it. There is no cutoff drainage, so runoff contaminates this water," said field officer Elvine Atsieno. "During my visit to this water source, it had rained, and it was in the morning. When it has rained, this area is slippery. [The] water appeared not to be clear, which made me say that I could not drink this water."

"As a community area administrator, I have to fetch water very early in the morning before people start queueing at the water point so that I can go to the office on time. Failure to [do] that I will waste much time fetching water. As a mother, you have to make sure that there is enough water in the house before leaving for work," said 48-year-old area administrator Maximilla Okumu.

The proper protection of the spring will enable people like Maximilla and Dennis to focus on the daily tasks they need to accomplish instead of wasting time waiting to collect water from a source that is delaying everyone's progress.

"This community is facing a challenge because their water source is partially functioning. When it's redone, then this will solve the problem of using unsafe water. Water users are trusting God for an intervention so that they can enjoy water," concluded Elvine.

The Proposed Solution, Determined Together...

At The Water Project, everyone has a part in conversations and solutions. We operate in transparency, believing it benefits everyone. We expect reliability from one another as well as our water solutions. Everyone involved makes this possible through hard work and dedication.

In a joint discovery process, community members determine their most advantageous water solution alongside our technical experts. Read more specifics about this solution on the What We're Building tab of this project page. Then, community members lend their support by collecting needed construction materials (sometimes for months ahead of time!), providing labor alongside our artisans, sheltering and feeding the builders, and supplying additional resources.

Water Access for Everyone

This water project is one piece in a large puzzle. In Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, we're working toward complete coverage of reliable, maintained water sources that guarantee public access now and in the future within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. One day, we hope to report that this has been achieved!

Training on Health, Hygiene & More

With the community's input, we've identified topics where training will increase positive health outcomes at personal, household, and community levels. We'll coordinate with them to find the best training date. Some examples of what we train communities on are:

  • Improved hygiene, health, and sanitation habits
  • Safe water handling, storage & treatment
  • Disease prevention and proper handwashing
  • Income-generation
  • Community leadership, governance, & election of a water committee
  • Operation and maintenance of the water point

Chlorine Dispensers

Installing chlorine dispensers is an important piece of our spring protection projects. Protecting a spring provides community members with an improved water source, but it doesn’t prevent contamination once the water is collected and stored. For example, if the water is clean and the container is dirty, the water will become contaminated.

We ensure that each chlorine dispenser is filled with diluted chlorine on a consistent schedule so that people can add pre-measured drops to each container of water they collect. That way, community members can feel even more confident in the quality of their water.

We're just getting started, check back soon!


Project Photos


Project Type

Springs are water sources that come from deep underground, where the water is filtered through natural layers until it is clean enough to drink. Once the water pushes through the surface of the Earth, however, outside elements like waste and runoff can contaminate the water quickly. We protect spring sources from contamination with a simple waterproof cement structure surrounding layers of clay, stone, and soil. This construction channels the spring’s water through a discharge pipe, making water collection easier, faster, and cleaner. Each spring protection also includes a chlorine dispenser at the waterpoint so community members can be assured that the water they are drinking is entirely safe. Learn more here!