From the field in East Sumba. Medical care, clean water, prevention and community health where access remains difficult.
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Water, Energy & Infrastructure
Water Connections
Safe water systems planned, built and maintained with rural communities where no public network exists.
- 5,300-litre ferrocement tanks
- 115 m³ reservoir built at Laindatang
- Rainwater, gravity and solar-pumped systems
Water must reach the home before disease does
In rural East Sumba, water may be several kilometres away, seasonal or visibly unsafe. A reservoir, protected source and working pipe change more than convenience. They change hydration, hygiene, food preparation and the daily exposure of children to preventable infection.
The programme
Water infrastructure built around health
Without a public network, every litre depends on distance, rainfall, storage and the condition of the source. Those constraints become health risks long before a patient reaches a clinic.
Water Connections designs practical systems for the terrain and the people who will use them. Depending on the site, this may mean rooftop rainwater harvesting, a ferrocement tank, a reinforced reservoir, a deep well, a solar pump, gravity-fed piping or a protected distribution point.
The work is carried out with village leaders, families and local builders. Construction is only the beginning. Gutters, lids, filters, pipes, overflow areas and water quality must remain inspectable, repairable and understood by the community.
A compact rainwater system adapted to homes, small groups of families and rural schools.
Large reinforced storage designed for more than 200 people and a local school.
A recent Hudumburung connection carries stored water directly to two homes and around fifteen people.
A solar-powered pump lifts groundwater to a 10,000-litre elevated storage system.
From source to household
How a water system becomes reliable
The visible tank is only one part of the system. Reliability begins with understanding the source and continues through design, construction, protection, distribution and maintenance.
Assess
The team studies the source, rainfall, terrain, household demand, access and the risks around the proposed site.
Design
Storage volume, foundations, catchment area, pumping or gravity and distribution are adapted to local conditions.
Build together
Local builders and families take part so the structure, materials and repair needs are understood close to home.
Protect and connect
Roofs, gutters, filters, sealed storage, overflow and pipes are installed as one continuous water pathway.
Inspect and maintain
Leaks, cracks, contamination risks and damaged components are identified, corrected and followed over time.
Water safety is continuous
A full tank is not automatically a safe tank
Safe access depends on the complete pathway from catchment or source to storage, pipe and household container. A weakness at any point can reintroduce contamination or interrupt supply.
What the system must protect
- A source or roof catchment kept away from avoidable contamination
- Gutters and first-flow components aligned and clear of debris
- A sealed tank with a protected lid and controlled access
- Filtration appropriate to the source and intended use
- Clean pipes, taps and household collection containers
- Drainage and overflow that do not create stagnant water
When corrective action is needed
- Cracks, leaks, unstable foundations or damaged tank walls
- Rust, open inspection holes or a lid that no longer seals
- Broken gutters, blocked filters or unburied damaged pipes
- Visible contamination, unusual colour, odour or persistent turbidity
- Standing overflow water that increases mosquito or hygiene risks
- Concerning test results or a cluster of diarrhoeal illness after use
A reservoir is useful only when its catchment, filtration, structure, overflow and distribution remain safe and repairable.
See how a new reservoir brings water to schoolchildren in East Sumba, and why the daily journey to collect water remains a health concern for families.
The system behind every tap
Engineering that can be maintained locally
A tank alone is not water access. Each project combines source assessment, structural choices, protected storage, distribution and a maintenance plan. The aim is not technical complexity. It is a system that fits the terrain, can be inspected and can keep working after the construction team leaves.
Site assessment
Rainfall, groundwater, access, soil, terrain and household demand guide the design before materials arrive.
Reinforced storage
Ferrocement tanks and larger reinforced reservoirs are sized and built for the community and site conditions.
Protected distribution
Filters, pumps, gravity-fed HDPE pipe, taps, overflow and drainage move water without losing control of safety.
Water monitoring
Field checks and the Rumah Kambera laboratory support testing for microbial, physical and chemical indicators.
What changes in practice
Safe water changes the conditions in which illness begins
Less time collecting water
A household connection can return hours of walking, waiting and transport to families, especially women and children.
Safer daily hygiene
Water close to home makes handwashing, wound cleaning, food preparation and household cleaning more consistent.
Water where children learn
School storage supports drinking, toilets, cleaning and basic infection prevention throughout the day.
Stronger dry-season continuity
Storage, protected sources and planned distribution reduce dependence on a single distant or seasonal collection point.
Final reportLaindatang 115 m³ reservoirRead the technical and field report for a large rainwater system serving more than 200 people and a school.
Project areaLaindatang & HambaritaExplore the linked reservoirs, filtration, construction and village water systems developed across these communities.
Child healthUnsafe water and childhood diarrhoeaUnderstand how contaminated water, dehydration and malnutrition reinforce one another in rural families.
Live field recordField Notes from Eastern IndonesiaFollow dated updates on construction, repairs, water access, health and the realities encountered by field teams.
Field guide & glossaryWater and sanitation, explainedExplore practical terms and field guides related to water safety, storage, hygiene and public health.
Public health referenceDrinking-water and healthRead the international evidence connecting safe water, sanitation, infection prevention and health.
Water and sanitation referenceWater, sanitation and hygieneExplore the wider framework linking safe water access, hygiene, childhood health and dignity.
Live from the field
Water Field Notes, as the work happens
Two recent updates from water construction, distribution or monitoring. These notes refresh when a new Water Connections Field Note is published.
Directly from the field
Latest Water Connections reports
These reports document construction, water quality, household access, maintenance, failures, corrective work and the health conditions each system is built to change.
Clean Water Roof in Laindatang | Medical Water Safety
A light steel roof now protects the Laindatang reservoir, shielding filtered rainwater from heat, light, and contamination. Built with villagers by Fair Future and Kawan Baik Indonesia, this structure turns rainfall into safe drinking water and prevents avoidable disease.
Laindatang water reservoir work – sealed interior
Laindatang water reservoir work required transforming raw concrete into a sealed chamber through seven protective layers. Each layer prevents contamination, stabilises the structure, and protects the health of families. This technical process is essential for long term safe water in East Sumba.
Laindatang water reservoir construction improving access
In Laindatang we build a 115000 litre reservoir by hand with villagers, shaping steel, timber, and concrete on a remote plateau. This work brings clean water to families who have lived without it and strengthens community health for the years ahead.
Hill access for water in Laindatang begins
Repairing Laindatang’s hill road was essential to bring clean water. The slope was broken and unsafe, but now machinery can finally reach the site. A first step toward reducing disease and improving daily life.
Rainwater tank Wai La Padang protects village health
In Hambarita the rainwater tank Wai La Padang changes how water and health begin each day. Before this project families rode kilometres on scooters for a few jerrycans. Now 5 300 litres of rooftop rain stand beside three small homes, saving money, energy, and clinic visits while protecting every child from dirty water.
Wai Pa Luri Wangu clean water tank for Hambarita village
In Hambarita the Wai Pa Luri Wangu water tank is one of eight new reservoirs we built with the community. This 5 300 litre blue cylinder stands just a few steps from three houses and sixteen people, turning short rains into stored water for daily life, hygiene and basic medical care, instead of dangerous rides on motorbikes with heavy jerrycans.
Kawan Sehat wound care in remote villages saves lives
In this image Kawan Sehat wound care happens on a bamboo floor where clinics are days away. The agent irrigates, debrides if needed, applies a sterile dressing, checks tetanus, and teaches danger signs. Early care stops infection before it spreads to the blood. This is how primary medicine prevents funerals.
Hambarita water reservoir plaques – eight named tanks
This picture shows Hambarita water reservoir plaques resting on the grass moments before installation. Each plate carries a local name because water is treated like kin. When a tank is called by name, people maintain it, clean gutters, and guard the lid. Eight new reservoirs will store rain, cut disease, and return time to families.
Rainwater tank connected in Laindatang East Sumba
The 114.7 m³ rainwater tank in Laindatang, named Matawai Urang, is now fully connected to gutters and filtration, ready to collect clean water for 300 residents. This rainwater tank Laindatang project also features an information panel, sharing the story of safe water access for the community.
Final report Hambarita reservoirs
Fair Future is pleased to release the final report of the Water Connections project in Hambarita. Over several months, eight ferrocement reservoirs were built, providing clean water to dozens of families. A serious effort, real impact, and lives transformed—thanks to all of you.
Eight Ferro-Cement Reservoirs Hambarita
Eight ferro-cement reservoirs in Hambarita now provide safe, filtered water to 120 people. Built with local skills, they improve health, hygiene, and quality of life for decades in one of East Sumba’s most remote areas.
Unmatched Laindatang Rainwater Reservoir
Fair Future built a 115,000-litre triple-filtered rainwater reservoir in remote Laindatang, East Sumba, overcoming extreme conditions to ensure clean water and health security.
Accountability
Water systems must remain measurable, repairable and transparent
We document volumes, construction, materials, beneficiaries, site inspections, faults, corrective work and how funds are used. A completed structure is not the end of responsibility. Its condition and usefulness must continue to be checked.
