The lake Hòa Bình extends through the district of Đà Bắc in the province of Hòa Bìnhnorth of Vietnam. The farming families living along its shores depend on the lake's resources, such as shrimp and freshwater fish, and use their water during the dry season when mountain streams are not sufficient.
However, many locals have realized that the water is not safe for consumption. In some families Daoan ethnic minority in Vietnam, a water deity is believed to punish those who pollute the water.
Trần Thị Lan HươngThe local boarding school administrator explains that they take care of the water sources because they believe that the water god will punish them if they pollute them. However, maintaining water quality is beyond the reach of the riparian communities. Groundwater recovered from damaged wells is contaminated, and streams are polluted by agricultural practices before reaching the lake. During dry seasons, streams are significantly reduced.
Creating solutions
Employing a people-centered design approach, Gravity Water collaborates with each school to identify its specific challenges and create the most appropriate solution. This approach enables schools to maintain full control by leveraging their knowledge of the water storage and the automation offered by the intervention of this organization.
One such school is the one attended by Hương's son, where. Gravity Water has installed a rainwater harvesting system to provide drinking water for students and teachers. By 2023, Apple granted to Gravity Water a grant to bring clean water to 131 schools in northern Vietnam as part of its strategy to improve water availability, quality and accessibility.
The organization works with each school to develop customized solutions using a people-centered design. This allows schools to become familiar with their existing water storage system and the automation provided by Gravity Water.
Phan Viet Dungproject manager of Gravity Water in Hòa Bình, highlights the diversity of challenges they face in the different schools, from transportation to infrastructure and water supply.
Gravity Water connects a weather-resistant tank to smart meters to monitor groundwater and rainwater use, ensuring that schools have a reliable source of water year-round.
"We have five installations every week. We are excited because we can go to all the schools, and each one is different. Transportation, distance between schools and infrastructure conditions are very different. In some institutions there is a lack of tools, and in others the water supply is unstable. We have to make sure that it doesn't matter if the water source is stable or not: the school must have clean water available at all times," he says.
The system is fully automated and relies on water level sensors to determine when to provide water to the school's kitchens, bathrooms and dormitories. They also train school administration to monitor water consumption and teach good hygiene and water management practices in the classroom.
Improving health conditions
Hà Thị Dựdeputy director of Vay NuaThe children are taught to use water properly, he mentions. Bàn Thiên Anhseventh grader, explains that they should use water efficiently, especially during the dry season.
In primary and secondary school Hiền Lươngwhere a new system has been installed. Gravity Waterthe nurse Hà Hồng Liên is responsible for children's health and stresses the importance of reusing water.
"The kids are happy all the time and have a lot of energy. Every year, there are programs to teach them how to take care of themselves and maintain good hygiene, but there are a lot of students at recess, playing and being thirsty. Before Gravity Water, I was very concerned about my health and the health of the kids here, about the quality of the water," she says.
A person wearing a mask and apron washes vegetables in a large container of water from a faucet. Two people, an adult and a child, harvest vegetables in a backyard.
Phạm Thiên Namdirector of Hiền LươngThe company's commitment to safety, health and the environment is underlined. At Hòa Bìnhwhere 70% of the population belongs to ethnic minorities earning less than four dollars a day, access to safe drinking water can be costly. The collection of rainwater during the monsoon season is a cost-effective and natural solution to close this gap.
Clean and safe water
Chu Thanh Hoanational director of Gravity Water in Vietnam, he says that they turn the disadvantage into an advantage by collecting more rainwater for school tanks.
Danny WrightCEO and founder of Gravity WaterThe rainwater has the capacity to radically change the situation with respect to the access to water for those who need it most.
"Rainwater harvesting is not a novelty in Vietnam; it is one of the oldest technologies in the world. I know schools that use bamboo branches cut in half to collect water from rooftops into different tanks. We have a great opportunity to scale up our technology and impact on rural communities," he says.
In addition to Hòa Bình, Gravity Water has projects in Nepal, Taiwan, Malaysia y Mexicoproviding access to clean and safe water a vulnerable communities. They collect real-time data to measure the impact and monitor the effectiveness of their systems.
By 2030, Gravity Water plans to bring clean water to one million structures, fostering climate resilience and water conservation in future generations.
Wright emphasizes the importance of educating children about the water saving and the rainwater harvestingThe aim is to inspire critical behavior that will improve the relationship with the environment.
Source: Apple
