What we do
%
of households do not have access to piped water
Minutes a day is spent collecting water
%
of households use unsafe water
The Problem
We all need safe water at home. Not just for drinking, but also for cooking, cleaning, bathing, menstrual hygiene and other domestic water needs. 98% of households in rural Bangladesh do not have access to piped water on premises. Most households rely on tube wells.
As well as being unsafe, these water sources are located away from the house. Women spend 1.5 hours every day collecting water. Apart from the time and physical labour burden, they can face sexual harassment along the way.
The lack of access means that 87% of households end up using unsafe water for their water needs. Consequently, families in Bangladesh, and particularly children, are at risk of diarrhoea, malnutrition and stunting.
Our Solution
Households that buy our water supply services get 24/7 supply of water straight out of the tap; at least 80-100 litres per person/day for up to 3 water points in their house (kitchen, toilet and bathroom). We test our water regularly and make sure that we are serving good quality water.
Max TapWater operates 20 piped water grids in Bangladesh.
Our local entrepeneurs
Max TapWater wants to offer local entrepreneurs the opportunity to co-invest in the capital costs of a grid. The entrepreneur gets an annual interest on their investment, while Max TapWater can build local ownership to help protect our investment and ensure revenue collection.
Anyone can be a local entrepreneur, as long as they are from within the village in which the grid is situated. Leadership capacity and community acceptance are also important. We prefer to work with people that have some prior business experience, such as existing sanitation entrepreneurs, borehole drillers or health sales agents. Often they’re interested to invest in water business because they find that when their customers have access to water, their other businesses (such as selling latrines or soaps) also flourish.
Distribution model
We create our grids for around 70 households in rural and peri-urban locations that are not yet connected to water supply services.
We operate using a social enterprise model. Max TapWater customers pay a one-time connection fee and a monthly tariff.
Each Max TapWater grid has an Operator, who is responsible for regular maintenance, invoicing and payment collection. From 2022, Max TapWater will also work with Local Entrepreneurs, who co-invest in the grid installation costs.
Our Customers
We supply piped water services to low and middle-income households within a 1.5km range of our grid and who do not have access to a private tube well. Through providing safe domestic water, Max TapWater reduces the incidence of water-borne disease in the family.
Women chose our service because Max TapWater makes their lives easier. Without having to carry home water, they can do other things that they care about, like earning money or spending more time with loved ones. Girls influence their parents to get a connection because Max TapWater is the smart choice for helping them focus better on their future career. Husbands and fathers see Max TapWater is the solution that makes their family members’ lives easier.
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