Imagine the population of Seattle dying each year from an entirely preventable and fixable problem. That’s roughly the number of people that die each year from not having access to safe water and sanitation services. Globally, 2 billion people drink water from a contaminated source, and 4.5 billion do not have access to safely managed sanitation which is necessary for preventing malnutrition and deaths from infectious diseases. Water and sanitation clearly aren’t luxury products; they are necessary to sustain life. Unfortunately, as necessary as they are, neither water nor sanitation is free. In fact, existing models for sanitation infrastructure are too expensive for most people living in low- and middle-income countries.

One approach to expanding access to people who have traditionally found themselves unable to consume things they need and want—like water and sanitation—is to rely primarily on donations to provide them. For example, if toilets are too expensive for individuals and communities to afford, donations that fund toilets provide access.

Below are three organizations working to increase access to these basic services for billions of people around the world. Although different in their approach, these organizations have one thing in common: developing a model that has sustainability at its core.

  1. Sanergy
    Based in Kenya, Sanergy provides non-sewered sanitation solutions that serve all urban residents and that are five times cheaper than sewers. The company empowers entrepreneurs who operate community latrines that offer a pay-for-use community toilet in non-sewered locations and slums.
  2. Sanivation
    Sanivation has two main innovations that are tackling the sanitation problem in a sustainable way. First, in partnership with local governments, the organization designs, builds, and operates fecal sludge treatment plants.
  3. Water4
    Water4 is a nonprofit organization that partners with local water entrepreneurs to create a sustainable business model that makes water available to people in low-income countries. The organization provides a holistic and market-based approach to solving the water crisis in the communities where it works.

Read the full article about water and sanitation innovation by Efosa Ojomo at Christensen Institute.