FIELD IMPLEMENTATION: OPTIMIZED PIPED CONNECTION PROGRAM
Scaling up piped connections faces several challenges, including the perception that residents in underserved communities are unwilling or unable to pay for connection services. This perception has led to limited public and private investment in piped-connection models. However, through partnerships and innovative models like the Optimized Piped Connection (OPC), we’ve made significant strides, improving household connection rates and demonstrating the model’s potential for achieving financial sustainability and social impact at scale.
By the Numbers
500+
Number of direct piped connections each Safe Water Enterprise can provide.
85%
Community participation in the direct to home program.
9000
Total Direct Connections to Date.
Two billion people worldwide still lack access to affordable safe water. Even in towns and villages where such water is available from a central location, usage rates fall well below those of families with water piped directly to their homes. While sporadic use of safe water is better than none, it falls short of achieving the full health benefits of consistently drinking and cooking with safe water.
In 2023, our efforts surpassed the one-year connection target within just four months, achieving over 80% penetration rates. This not only significantly improves the health and livelihoods of communities but also generates sufficient revenue to cover operating costs and maintain reserves for long-term maintenance. That means going forward, the community owned and operated enterprise will require no further financial support. At a time when too many well-intentioned efforts fail after a year, this is a game changer.
Safe Water Network’s Optimized Piped Connection (OPC) stations feature a robust and equitable design, with strategically placed connection points throughout the community, greatly enhancing connectivity capacity. This approach has expanded service reach, substantially reduced connection costs, and ensured equitable access for all households. As a result, the community participation rate soared from 45% to 85%, marking a significant achievement in our mission to provide widespread and accessible water connections.
Partnerships
Our partnerships play a crucial role in providing the funding and expertise needed to demonstrate in several communities how to scale the optimized piped connection program. Safe Water Network partnered with Whitten & Roy to develop an ethical and effective sales team, employing behavior-changing practices to drive consumer adoption. Collaboration with Engineers Without Borders and Envicom Corporation facilitated the implementation of technological and infrastructure advancements, enabling us to serve a greater number of households while enhancing customer service.
The Stone Family Foundation continues to provide funding and strategic input on the intiative’s processes and protocols. In 2024, foundation founder John Stone visited our H20ME! Water Station in Adawso, located nearly 90 kilometers from Ghana’s capital, Accra (watch John’s interview from March 2024 shortly after making that visit).
The Adawso station launched in 2020 and was retrofitted in 2023 with solar power, additional production capacity, and piping infrastructure. Today, the station delivers safe water to about 6,000 residents. This includes direct piped connections with prepaid metering and mobile money payments to over 500 homes and 5 public standpipes.
To learn more about this ground-breaking program, read our Field Insight released in February 2024: Making Piped Water to Households Affordable and Available. Also, to hear more about our next steps for this program, check out the What’s Ahead section of this report.
Special thanks to our partners who make this work possible: Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Engineers Without Borders, Envicom Corporation, Stone Family Foundation, and Whitten & Roy Partnership.