About the project
The water project has five components: construction of sand dams, Establishment of shallow wells, distribution of donkeys to vulnerable households, distribution of 10,000-liter tanks to groups with tree nurseries, and water distribution.

Sand Dams
A sand dam is a concrete barrier built across a seasonal river with the intention of accumulating sand, which filters, stores, and shields water from evaporation, ensuring its prolonged availability, bridging the two rain seasons. The water project has implemented 855 sand dams up to date, and 3 are work in progress. These sand dams have ensured availability of water to community members even during the dry seasons, since most of the rivers in the counties of Makueni, Machakos Kajiando are seasonal and run dry in two to three months time after the rains.

Shallow wells
Access to improved water sources and basic sanitation remains a challenge to communities living in rural arid and semi-arid areas of Makueni, Machakos, and Kajiado counties. Unimproved water sources such as ponds, dams, streams, unprotected springs, and scooped wells are the main sources of domestic water, which predisposes community members to waterborne diseases.
To improve access to improved water sources, UDO implements shallow wells in these counties, in areas with high water tables, especially near UDO sand dams. UDO establishes 15 shallow wells in a year in addition to the shallow wells established alongside new sand dams. The shallow wells are dug to a depth of 12 to 15 feet and to a width of 5 feet. The well is secured with culverts, and the interground and culvert space is filled with gravel, and then a pump is installed, which is either a hand pump (most preferred due to durability) or a solar pump. The earth, gravel, and porous culverts filter clean water into the well, providing clean and safer water to community members.
To improve health, the project has incorporated WaSH trainings into the shallow wells component, which ensures the adoption of health and sanitation practices by the community members who a beneficiaries of shallow wells projects. The grouted shallow well slab prevents water contamination by surface runoff and animals, while the incorporation of
WaSHtrainings enable the communities to be at par with the rest of the world in the realization of SDG 6, “clean
water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Distribution of Donkeys
This component involves the distribution of donkeys to vulnerable female-headed households composed of at least four kids, and whose proximity to the water source is at least 1 km this is inline with SDG 1 (No poverty). This helps the household in the transportation of water from the source to the household and even for water vending. Each year, UDO distributes 4 donkeys to such households.

Distribution of water tanks
UDO distributes10,000 litreswater tanks, to self help groups with tree nurseries. This is aimed at boosting the groups activity. In a year the organization distributes 2 tanks.

Water Reticulation
UDO also undertakes the installation of water distribution systems, to enhance accessibility to clean water to households, by increasing the number of water points to clustered households in the organizations quest for implementing SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation). NB: All UDO water projects beneficiaries are trained on hygiene and sanitation