On #GlobalHandwashingDay we are delighted to throw our support behind the partnership of Halma Plc and WaterAid, with the aim of tackling the global issue of water accessibility and quality.

Water is the most critical resource on the planet, yet millions worldwide still don’t have access to clean water close to home. Through a two-year campaign the partnership will highlight the global issue of access to safe water by providing 8,000 people in India with clean drinking water. 

Access to safe drinking water is a significant global problem, and the pandemic has only served to reinforce its vital importance in protecting our most vulnerable communities. One in ten people worldwide do not have access to clean water close to home. Lack of access to clean water and decent sanitation causes diarrhoeal diseases, which claim the lives of 800 under-fives every single day.

The Halma-WaterAid partnership will focus on two areas in north east India: Bhagalpur and Buxar, where only 15% and 3% of the population respectively have access to piped water supply in the community, and just 1% of people in both districts have piped water in their homes. 97% of those in Buxar have access to water that is drawn through arsenic-affected shallow pumps.

As part of the partnership, Halma – which has several world-leading water companies as part of its global group – will donate a minimum of £200,000 of funds, as well as its own water quality treatment technology, that will ensure:

• 5,000 people gain access to a safe water supply through the installation of water quality treatment systems;
• 10 villages have community management of operations and maintenance and water quality monitoring – with Halma also training community volunteers to maintain and operate the systems; and
• 3,000 people have the resources to safely harvest water.

We'll be providing regular updates about our fundraising initiatives throughout the duration of the partnership, so keep a look out on our website over the coming months.

To read the full press release from Halma Plc please click here.

For more information about WaterAid please click here.