Clean Drinking Water for Schools

Although Thailand is generally blessed with ample water resources, the availability of clean drinking water is often a problem, particularly in up-country areas.

Many children in rural Thailand drink untreated or poorly treated water at their schools, which makes them ill and impairs their studies,

In 1996, our club initiated a Clean Drinking Water for Schools Programme to install water purification systems in rural schools.

To date we have installed nearly 500 such systems in schools in over 30 provinces throughout Thailand. The systems use Reverse Osmosis technology, which is easy to maintain and relatively inexpensive.

A standard system produces sufficient water each day for up to 400 students. Its design enables re-use of reject water for toilets, cleaning and gardening, and sometimes excess purified water can be used by village residents. With proper care and maintenance, each system can provide clean water for 10 years or more. That is a cost of less than one fifth of a cent per student, per day.

A recipient school should have less than 400 students, be outside the provincial centre, and be poor.  Water samples are tested to determine the level of cleaning and consequent configuration of system required.

The school must build, and pay for, a shed to house the machine to detailed instructions. This gives the school and local community an ownership stake in the project.

Excluding the shed, each project costs THB 90,000-100,000, depending on the type of system needed and the school’s location.

This includes the machine itself, its installation, and a maintenance fund of THB 25,000, given to the local Rotary Club and sufficient for 4-5 years. We have an extensive sponsorship programme for these projects, at various levels:

• Water Fellowship:  THB 25,000, which effectively sponsors the maintenance component;
• Soda Sponsorship:  THB 50,000, sponsoring half of one system;
• Wine Sponsorship:  THB 100,000, sponsoring half of two systems;
• Champagne Sponsorship:  THB 150,000, sponsoring half of three systems

We undertake to find or fund the remaining cost of each project.

Like to become a water sponsor or fellow?

Please click HERE and we will be in touch with you.

Coins On Silom – Friday 30 October 2015
23 September 2010

The Rotary Club of Bangkok South (RCBS)
14 September 2010

The Four Way Test
5 September 2010