AquaFund® benefits WaterAid
In 2007, ADSM signed a ‘first of its kind’ agreement that saw money raised from its water contract, AquaFund®, donated to WaterAid.
1% of AquaFund revenue goes directly to WaterAid, contributing to the charity’s important work in the world’s poorest countries – transforming lives by improving access to clean, safe water.
By helping UK organisations to use less water, this AquaFund® initiative raises funds for international water projects, helping poor communities to gain access to safe drinking water.
AquaFund® – ADSM’s multi-million pound scheme provides the expertise, the resources and the infrastructure to drive down UK organisations’ water costs, helping them to make water and financial savings. The fund not only pays for the infrastructure required to save water but also the regular monitoring services that identify further potential savings over time.
Businesses ranging from Airports to Local Authorities have utilised AquaFund® and are now benefiting from the environmental and corporate social responsibility (CSR) advantage – and the cashable savings.
“AquaFund® was established to maximise water savings within the business sector”, explained Patrick McCart, Director at ADSM. “Every organisation wants to use less water but funding constraints have often limited savings in the past. By establishing AquaFund®, we have removed this barrier, with the financial savings shared between the fund and the customer.”
“We donate a percentage of the AquaFund® scheme revenue to WaterAid and in 2009/10 we helped to support WaterAid projects in the cities of Dhaka, Khulna and Chittagong in Bangladesh. I am very pleased that AquaFund® has helped our clients here in the UK to reduce water consumption and at the same time enabled many communities in Bangladesh to gain access to safe water and sanitation – a basic human right. It is extremely rewarding to know that we are helping to educate the people of Dhaka, Khulna and Chittagong about hygiene and really changing their lives by giving them a reliable, clean and sustainable water supply.”
AquaFund® and WaterAid in Mali, Western Africa
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. Lack of access to water and sanitation pose a serious threat to health. Access to water is a daily struggle - particularly during the dry season when people in rural areas can often spend a whole day walking to collect water. Water-related diseases are rife, child mortality is very high and adult life expectancy is just 48 years.
Our AquaFund donations will help WaterAid work with local partners and governments to provide sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation, integrated with health and hygiene education.
AquaFund® and WaterAid in Bangladesh
In 2007 Bangladesh was heavily affected by floods and a cyclone which damaged human and economic resources, devastating countless infrastructures including water and sanitation facilities.
The project that ADSM is supporting in Bangladesh will enable over 270,000 people to gain access to safe water, over 880,000 people gain access to sanitation and over 900,000 to hygiene education.
AquaFund® and WaterAid in Ethiopia
ADSM's support for this project started in April 2007. Before this time only 6.6% of the community had access to water in this rural area, but even these water sources dried up between the months of December to May.
This AquaFund® project has enabled 8289 people in Ethiopia to gain access to safe water and 16,539 people to gain access to effective sanitation.
ADSM and WaterAid would like to thank AquaFund® clients for helping make these achievements possible.
Keep up the good work!
Image credits: WaterAid / Juthika Howlader / Jon Spaull
WaterAid is a registered charity, numbers 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland)
