innovate WASH is raising £5,000 to design, build, and monitor a rainwater harvesting and bio-sand filtration system at Mwenge Primary School in eastern Uganda.

The project responds to the worsening impacts of climate change on water security for vulnerable schools, aiming to deliver measurable improvements in water access and quality at Mwenge while generating transferable evidence on climate-resilient, decentralised water supply.

We are taking a rigorous, evidence-driven approach. We will use innovate rain, our purpose-built rainwater system modelling platform, to simulate supply outcomes and optimise design before we build. A prototype IoT water level sensor will monitor system performance in real time after installation. Bio-sand filtration will be implemented alongside the rainwater system, providing a treatment solution with no consumables, no external power requirement, and no dependence on local supply chains. We will remain closely involved with the community well beyond installation, using sensing data and direct engagement to ensure the system keeps working long term.

To learn more, read our full project statement.

A note on our budget and use of funds. This project involves several experimental components, including the IoT sensor and bio-sand filtration implementation, and our budget reflects that complexity. We have set our fundraising target based on careful cost analysis, with a considered buffer to account for supply chain uncertainty and the inherent variability of working in this context. Any funds raised beyond what is spent on this project will roll over into innovate WASH's unrestricted funds, supporting future innovation initiatives.