Distributing Clean Water in Communities

Bangladesh has the largest population at risk of arsenic poisoning in the world. The groundwater in about 90 % of Bangladesh’s 64 districts is contaminated with arsenic. In order to supply safe drinking water to the poorest communities of Bangladesh, Grameen Veolia Water launched a water treatment and distribution business. This company constructed a plant with 4 km of pipelines, and has been distributing safe drinking water by treating surface water drawn from the local river. This company has introduced a marketing strategy tailor-made to the needs of the plant’s locale, and maximizes the Grameen network to create and spread awareness of the value of safe drinking water. Local women play an essential role in building social networks at the water tap locations.