The availability of clean water is considered a basic human right, yet in many places, including the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), access to clean water remains a significant challenge. More than one billion people in developing regions still lack access to safe water sources, leading to severe health issues. Every year, 2-3 million children under the age of five die due to diarrheal diseases, often contracted from contaminated water sources, with nearly 90 percent of these fatalities occurring among young children. Shockingly, an estimated 4,500 to 6,000 children perish daily due to water-related diseases. The World Health Organization reports that approximately half of the developing world’s population is affected by six major diseases related to inadequate water supply and sanitation: diarrhoea, ascaris, dracunculiasis, hookworm, schistosomiasis, and trachoma. Nearly half of the people in the Marshall Islands are at risk of consuming contaminated water, affecting around 20,000 individuals. While some have access to improved water sources, only 58.8% of households employ proper water treatment methods, leaving the remaining 41.2% vulnerable to waterborne diseases.
The Marshall Islands face a critical shortage of fresh water, with a majority of households (about 79%) relying on rainwater catchments for drinking water. This means that roughly 80% of the total population, or approximately 42,854 individuals, heavily depend on collected rainwater for their water needs. Sadly, island water sources suffer from bacterial pollution, as evidenced by samples from Majuro’s water company piping system showing contamination by total coliform and E. coli, both resulting from human and animal waste, leading to illnesses. Astonishingly, household water sources exhibit similar levels of contamination as urban areas, contributing to the increasing prevalence of waterborne diseases. Gastroenteritis ranks as the third most common cause of hospitalization among children under 5 years old in the Marshall Islands, with one in three Marshallese children experiencing stunted growth. Diarrhoea and intestinal parasites play a significant role in childhood malnutrition by reducing food intake, impairing nutrient absorption, causing direct nutrient loss, and weakening the immune system. Climate change exacerbates these challenges, with the Marshall Islands experiencing more frequent freshwater crises, including severe droughts in 2013 and 2016, where some individuals survived on less than a liter of water per person per day.
Project Details
The objective of this project is to identify sustainable and socially viable solutions to address the problems associated with contaminated water. Various purification methods such as chlorination, distillation, boiling, sedimentation, and high-tech filters have been employed, but they encounter obstacles like high costs, maintenance requirements, reliance on fossil fuels, and long waiting periods. Our proposed solution involves distributing an affordable and effective water filter, the Sawyer One Point System, which operates without electricity and is both sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Phase I of the project positively impacted nearly 14,000 people across 21 of the 23 inhabited atolls in the RMI, excluding Majuro and Ebeye. Phase II extended its reach to 33,000 residents in the urban centers of Majuro and Ebeye. This initiative aims to reduce waterborne diseases stemming from unsafe water and water scarcity, including scabies, diarrhea, and typhoid, while also addressing water quality issues. It aligns with national frameworks and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which seeks to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Project Summary
Regarding project implementation, the Marshall Islands consist of 7,738 households, with over half residing in Majuro and Ebeye. Phase I prioritized the 22 outer island communities, focusing on the most vulnerable populations. Phase II expanded its efforts to Majuro and Ebeye, reaching 33,000 more individuals.
Water Charity collaborated with the KIO, the national government, local community leaders, and organizations to identify families in need of clean water filters. Recipients were educated on the importance of safe drinking water and proper hygiene, and the filters were installed with the help of various stakeholders. Ongoing costs were minimal, with local authorities and recipients entrusted with the long-term maintenance of the filters. The project aims to distribute filters to every household in need in the Marshall Islands.
In February 2023, the project – Water is Life! successfully conducted water filter awareness consultations on Ebeye, distributing tap filters and bucket filters to households, churches, and schools. The initiative reached various communities, and follow-up surveys are planned to assess the effectiveness of the filters. The project is on the verge of providing 100% access to clean and safe water in the Marshall Islands.
Phase II, spanning from 2021 to 2023, targeted urban households in Majuro and Ebeye, distributing 900 filter systems on Ebeye and 3,968 filters on Majuro. Initial funding of $15,000 from Water Charity, facilitated this phase. Majuro Do it Best Company shipped filters from the U.S. mainland to Majuro and Ebeye Island. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Human Services provided additional funding to cover travel expenses for members to travel from Majuro to Ebeye. Faucet filters were chosen for Ebeye, as most homes had access to household faucet systems. Training workshops and assistance with water filter distribution were conducted on the ground.
In Majuro, filter distribution began in Laura Village, extending to Rita, Delap, and Jenrok communities, with nearly 3,000 filters distributed to households by mid-July 2023. The project held a dinner event to acknowledge the collective efforts of those involved in ensuring access to clean and safe water for all communities in the Marshall Islands.
As of July 2023, Phase II has distributed an additional 5,000 water filters to urban households on Ebeye and Majuro, benefiting 33,000 more Marshallese individuals. Since the inception of the Dren In Mour project in 2018, nearly 8,000 water filters have been distributed across all communities in the Marshall Islands, fulfilling the goal of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water. The project’s success has been made possible through collaboration and commitment from various project partners.
Phase III, planned for 2023-2024, aims to improve drinking water systems in public schools in the Marshall Islands, furthering the mission of providing clean and safe water to all residents. Despite significant infrastructure improvements in public schools, many still lack adequate access to safe drinking water.
Beneficiary Testimonials
Ronnie Lia Graham mentioned “It’s dry in Rearlaplap now and this filter is saving lives….I drank coconut and waini for 3 days coz of no water in the house I stay at. That bucket with filter works! Wish I had my iPad with me to take pics.”
Ekta Madan said “I am highly motivated to present my testimony of this filter before all of you and how it has changed my life. Earlier I used to fetch water from town to my place of stay in Rairok which was really cumbersome and expensive too including the taxi fare. I had to find out ways every week to have safe storage of water for my domestic use. It was a life-changing moment for me few weeks ago when I was introduced to this new tap filter by Ms Monique Strauss. The problem of purchasing filtered water bottles no longer exists I am using this safe small filter every day to fill my water from my catchment on a regular basis. So far I have not found any physical illness due to consumption of water using this filter but I feel more empowered as it saves my time, money and efforts to spend on drinking water which is our natural resource. DREN IN MOUR. Thanks to all the project people for providing this valuable filter to all people in Majuro.”
Molly Murphy stated “The Water is Life project is hands down one of the most valuable projects implemented in our communities and we at MIEPI feel privileged to have been able to provide some support. I for one am a recipient of the water filter distributed here in Ajeltake. The filter has improved life for my family in many ways. We no longer need to haul heavy water jugs between Ajetake and town just so we can access clean drinking water. It has also saved us money.”
We gave clean water to an entire small island today in the Marshall Islands! We’re about to reach the finish line of border to border clean water!
The finish line recipients for border-to-border clean water in the Marshall Islands!
A little girl who is eager to learn how to use filters.
Training people on effective use of water filters.
Water filter Distribution.
Hands-on practice to use filters.
It’s easy to clean filters for the long run.
The funds for this program have been advanced by Water Charity. Your donation using the Donate button will ensure that we have funds available to accomplish this project. Kindly donate using the button.
This project has been completed. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
#WaterisLife! One of the last recipients of clean drinking water in The Marshall Islands
This project has been completed. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
Water Charity has partnered with and supported Kora in Okrane (KIO), a non-profit charitable organization in the Marshall Islands, which in July 2018 launched an initiative to provide every single household, school, and dispensary in the outer islands with SAWYER Point One Water Filter Systems.
Water Charity is one among a number of partners that have been supporting the KIO’s initiatives including the United Nations Development Program and GEF Program, RMI government, SDG Committee, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce, Environmental Protection Authority, and Women United Together Marshall Islands.
Since 2018, KIO distributed filters to all the outer Islands. Its partnership with Water Charity will help KIO reach the last urban areas in the Marshall Islands. In 2021, the last remaining areas left to distribute water filtration systems were Majuro and Ebeye.
After completing Majuro, KIO started Phase 2 with the Launch of the Ebeye Component. Ebeye has 10,000 residents and is the second most populated jurisdiction in the Marshalls. The team from Majuro joined members on Ebeye for a week in early March, to train the women volunteers and conduct community consultations.
It was serendipitous timing because, on April 19th, 2022, the Ebeye Hospital Syndromic Surveillance reported of a diarrheal outbreak. The laboratory department confirmed the presence of Entamoeba Cysts (E‐cysts): a microscopic parasite that spreads through human feces and causes diarrhea, nausea, and weight loss.
A landmark child nutrition survey in 2017 by the Republic of Marshall Islands and UNICEF found serious malnutrition among Marshallese children, with stunting prevalent among one‐in‐three children, with links to poor sanitation and lack of clean water. Ebeye is known to be one of the most compactly populated places with no clean and safe water where waterborne diseases have been a pervasive threat.
The project allowed the distribution of water filters to eleven villages. Household-level surveys, as well as community-wide consultation and training, were conducted prior to distributing the filters.
To read details about the Water filter distribution – Marshall Islands, CLICK HERE.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) comprises a series of 29 coral atolls and five islands in the Pacific just north of the equator. This tiny republic of some 53,000 inhabitants has major water supply challenges, particularly on the two main islands, Majuro (28,000 people in 970 ha at 6.8 people per household) and Ebeye, (10,000 people in 40 ha at 8.4 people per household).
The Marshall Islands were a Spanish colony until they became a German protectorate in the late 1800s. During WWI, Japan occupied the Marshall Islands. After the war, Germany was forced to renounce all of its Pacific possessions, including the Marshall Islands. In 1920, the League of Nations approved the South Seas Mandate for Japan to take over all former German colonies in the Pacific. During WWII, in 1944, The United States invaded and occupied the islands. Following capture and occupation by the United States, the Marshall Islands, along with several other island groups located in Micronesia, passed formally to the United States in 1947.
From 1946 to 1958, the early years of the Cold War, the United States tested 67 nuclear weapons at its Pacific Proving Grounds located in the Marshall Islands. In 1956, the U.S. Atomic Energy commission regarded the Marshall Islands as “by far the most contaminated place in the world.” In 1979, the Government of the Marshall Islands was officially established and the country became self-governing. With climate change, rising sea levels are now threatening the islands.
RMI’s Water Problems
For the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) as a whole, the supply of natural freshwater is severely limited. The primary source of freshwater is rain which (due to the low elevation of the atolls and islands) soaks directly into the soil and disperses into saltwater which permeates atoll subsoils. In some favorable locations some of the freshwater may accumulate and float on the saltwater below and can be accessed with wells. The major issues and concerns related to overall water management in the RMI are insufficient quantity. Various studies have identified that Majuro’s current 36.5 million gallon reservoir capacity as insufficient and should be doubled in order to help meet growing demand.
The two main water utilities, MWSC on Majuro and Kajur on Ebeye, continue to face great challenges in delivering quality water and services on a consistent and reliable basis. Contamination and pollution are real and present threats to water resources everywhere, including in the water systems, in the groundwater (especially in urban areas), in household catchments, and in coastal areas. For Outer Island households, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has dramatically increased its water quality testing in recent years and has revealed that a high percentage of home water catchments are contaminated, this also is the case in the urban centers. This, in turn, supports the data that show a high and increasing prevalence of water-borne diseases.
Contaminated Water & Health Outcomes
Recent surveys by EPA states high levels of contamination in water catchments across many outer island communities and while methods of treatment are taught at the household level, many are still drinking water straight from the source. As a result, Gastroenteritis is rampant in the Marshall Islands and is the third leading cause of hospital visits for children under the age of 5. Similarly, the RMI has seen outbreaks of Cholera, Typhoid, and Conjunctivitis in the recent past yet little national effort has been made to address and improve water quality in the RMI for both urban and outer island communities.
Water Charity Partners with Kora in Okrane
Water Charity has partnered with and supported Kora in Okrane (KIO), a non-profit charitable organization in the Marshall Islands, which in July 2018 launched an initiative to provide every single household, school, and dispensary in the outer islands with SAWYER Point One Water Filter Systems.
Water Charity is one among a number of partners that have been supporting the KIO’s initiatives including the United Nations Development Program and GEF Program, RMI government, SDG Committee, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce, Environmental Protection Authority, and Women United Together Marshall Islands.
Since 2018, KIO distributed filters to all the outer Islands. Its partnership with Water Charity will help KIO reach the last urban areas in the Marshall Islands: the last remaining areas left to distribute water filtration systems are Majuro and Ebeye.
This project has been completed. To read about Ebeye Water Filter Distribution, CLICK HERE.
To read details about the Water filter distribution – Marshall Islands, CLICK HERE.
