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FAQ

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You've got questions. We've got answers.

Can’t find what you’re looking for here? Contact us.  Due to the high volume of inquiries we receive, we are occasionally unable to respond as quickly as we’d like. Don’t hesitate to call us at 405.551.8214 if you have a question that you can’t find the answer to here. Thank you for taking the time to learn about Water4 and our unique approach to the water crisis. Our work is not possible without you!

We start, scale, mentor, and oversee safe water businesses in Africa. Our mission is to equip people to eradicate their water crisis through faith, empowerment, entrepreneurship and technology. We empower local people to solve local problems through business.

Yes, faith is a core foundation of the Water4 mission. Water4 focuses on sharing the Gospel through our Multiply program , through our business’s  work to establish and sustain Gospel centered faith in every community that shares and shows interest where we work. Because of our efforts to not bring in things from the outside, we try to stick to the following integrated programs for lasting spiritual sustainability.

Yes, through the local businesses we’ve started, scaled, mentor and oversee.

Yes, but not often. Our model is based on training local people to be the solution to the water crisis in their own countries. While we encourage folks who are able to go to do so, we use international volunteers very sparingly with our work. In fact, the only people we use to drill water wells, teach sanitation and hygiene and the other facets of our work are highly trained African businesses.  

Our model is built around the idea that opportunity is greater than charity. That means we want to provide the resources, skills and tools needed to empower the people affected by the water crisis to be the same people who solve the water crisis. That being said, we do take highly skilled business, health, geologists and leaders with us to boost the capacity of these local business heroes.

  1. JOIN TEAM WATERMARK: Every month, watermark team members provide enough funding to support an entire nation’s water program for a month. Join team Watermark by becoming a monthly donor.
  2. ENGAGE YOUR COMPANY: Caring capital combined with free enterprise is a powerful way to solve the water crisis. When a cause-minded company invests in Water4, together we can scale faster to make lasting change. Get your company involved today.
  3. HOST A PARTY: Imaging changing the world just by gathering friends and colleagues in your home for an evening of inspiration. When friends come together to rally around a cause, good things happen. Contact us to throw a world-changing party.
  4. INVITE YOUR CHURCH: Our mission lives at the crossroads of our heart and our actions, our desire to share our faith and our passion to solve the world’s water crisis. If your church is looking for a way to make a global impact, Water4 can help.
  5. CELEBRATE TO WALK: Join hundreds across Oklahoma City to walk to end the walk for water at Walk4Water4. Fundraise, sponsor, donate, and attend to make your impact on the water crisis and experience the daily walk that millions make..
  6. START A FUNDRAISER: Every day, all over the world, people just like you take everyday actions to change lives. Work with us to create a team of specialists for identified needs.

To build efficient businesses, we use the same technology everywhere we work. Changing how businesses treat water or drill wells for one time occasions creates a sustainability risk in that those “opportunity anomalies” are likely to fall into disrepair. That being said, if you’d like to donate items within the suite of tools and tech we use, we would be very grateful. There are exceptions to every rule, so if you have something that seems relevant to our work, feel free to email info@water4.org.

While we do manufacture drilling equipment and water pumps, we are not in the business of selling drilling equipment and pumps to consumers in the United States. Rather, we are an implementing organization that equips and provides training to Water4 businesses  through long-term partnerships. Because of this we do not sell equipment or pumps on the open market.

Once a team or a group of individuals have been selected to partner with Water4, they go through an intensive training process by Water4 and a current in-country partner. Manual drilling trainings are usually last 2.5 weeks and concentrate on groups of 5-10. Approximately five participants are chosen to continue the program. Subsequent drilling trainings follow. We usually tell organizations wishing to equip and train a team to foresee a long-term investment of time and energy over five years.

Access – The initial manual drilling training that covers augering, borehole design and hydrogeology.                                             

mWaSH – Water4 utilizes a missional approach to meet the community’s needs for water access, sanitation, and hygiene. This training was developed by Lifewater International.

Financial Stewardship – Personal and business financial management based upon Biblical principles that is designed to help participants steward their resources personally and as a business that sees themselves as resource for others, not just themselves.

Leadership – In partnership with Lifeway Mission International, Water4 trains and mentors in-country teams through the holistic approach of prayer, community engagement, people of peace, Discovery Bible Study (DBS), gathering and leadership development. Approaching business as mission, profit and growth are seen as a means of service and not to one’s self.

We work through our local partners who are often contracted to drill wells in churches, schools or communities. If you would like to see if a Water4 partner could install a pump in a particular location, please send your inquiry to info@water4.org.

We believe that caring capital and free enterprise, coupled with missional outreach can solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. Water4 teams up with cause-minded companies, churches, NGO’s and individuals that want to see their dollar multiplied through sustainable solutions.

Water4 partners are located all around the globe but primarily in Africa. We currently have 17 active businesses in 7 countries. We have businesses in: DRC, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia. Click here to learn more about our work in each country.

The average hand pump well costs $2,700 depending on the location, including labor and hardware to install the well. Focusing on NUMA piped water, we can provide access to a person for $40, a village of 1000 for $40,000, and so on.

A NUMA Network is a community water delivery system built around a high-capacity water well. The system includes the Nexus (water well), Nodes (substations with water tanks) and Nows (water outlets located at homes or businesses). Learn more here.

NUMA Nexus

A Nexus station is the center of each water system. It contains the well itself, filtration equipment, storage tanks, and water faucets for community members.

NUMA Node

Node substations are branches from the Nexus. Water comes through a pipe from the main station, where it is stored in a water tank and ready for distribution.

NUMA Now

NUMA Now is a prepaid connection for those who need immediate access to water at their home or business.

With proper maintenance and upkeep, a well can last over 20 years.

Community sizes vary in Africa just like they do here. Typically, a well with a hand pump will provide 250-300 people with clean water, but some of our piped systems provide water for as many as 5,000 people.

Usually, we are not able to facilitate reporting per well for each person that donates to have a well put in. As you may imagine the requirements to create individualized reporting would be quite expensive. We log, track, and monitor each well, but we do not assign donor names to them. If you are interested in funding a group of wells or a larger project, we would be happy to discuss with you how we can keep you updated on the progress of that program.

Yes, our wells are regularly tested to ensure the water quality meets WHO and national standards.  Our teams utilize professional water testing kits and test all wells to identify any contaminants.

We are dedicated to implementing a multiple-well strategy in the communities where we work. This means we never do “one-and-done” projects where we leave the community to fend for themselves after a well is drilled. Water4 businesses offer support, guidance, and best practices for the continuation of well drilling and maintenance in the community.

No, Water4 is not a granting organization.

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