Clean Water Solution Framework: The Well Beyond App
How to choose and implement the best clean water solution for a community.
The Well Beyond App is the first mobile app designed to help plan and implement the best water solution for each specific community.
Every community faces a unique mix of water availability, terrain, and infrastructure. The Well Beyond App helps navigate this complexity by aligning local conditions with appropriate, proven solutions.
The App’s framework outlines how clean water decisions should be made:
1. Understanding a Community’s Water Reality
Every effective water project begins with a clear picture of the problem. The Well Beyond App helps users structure this assessment by focusing on key questions:
What Is the Core Water Challenge?
- Is water scarce, unsafe, or both?
- Is availability seasonal or year‑round?
- How far do people currently travel to collect water, and who bears that burden?
By capturing these realities early, the app helps avoid mismatched solutions – such as installing treatment systems where water is scarce, or drilling wells where contamination is the primary issue.
2. Evaluating Local Terrain, Land, and Resources
Geography determines feasibility. The Well Beyond App guides users through critical environmental considerations that directly impact water system success:
- Rainfall patterns: Is rainwater harvesting viable?
- Surface water access: Are rivers, streams, or lakes nearby?
- Subsurface conditions: Is groundwater accessible, and how hard is the ground for drilling?
- Topography: Can gravity‑fed systems reduce energy needs?
Rather than relying on assumptions, the app encourages evidence‑based evaluation — helping users align water solutions with what the land can realistically support.
3. Assessing Remoteness and Accessibility
Many water projects fail because logistics are underestimated. The Well Beyond App highlights practical constraints that influence system choice:
- Road access and transport limitations
- Availability of electricity or fuel
- Access to spare parts and repair services
- Local technical skills
For remote communities, the app prioritizes low‑maintenance, locally serviceable technologies, reducing long‑term dependence on outside support.
4. Matching Communities to Appropriate Water Sources
Once conditions are understood, the Well Beyond App helps identify which water sources are most suitable:
- Rainwater harvesting for areas with sufficient rainfall
- Groundwater wells where geology allows reliable access
- Surface water systems paired with appropriate treatment
- Non‑traditional sources such as atmospheric water or desalination in niche environments
The app emphasizes comparison – showing how cost, complexity, and sustainability vary by context.
5. Selecting the Right Extraction and Collection Method
Not all wells, pumps, or harvesting systems are equal. The Well Beyond App supports informed choices by outlining pros, cons, and requirements for options such as:
- Hand‑drilled or machine‑drilled wells
- Sand dams in semi‑arid regions
- Gravity‑fed spring systems
- Solar‑powered pumping solutions
This helps users move beyond “what has worked elsewhere” toward what will work here.
6. Planning Storage, Distribution, and Treatment
Safe water must remain safe after collection. The Well Beyond App integrates planning across the full water chain:
- Storage options (tanks, cisterns, elevated systems)
- Distribution models (standpipes, household connections)
- Treatment technologies matched to contamination risks
From biosand filters and chlorination to UV and solar‑powered purification, the app helps users compare treatment options based on effectiveness, cost, and ease of maintenance.
7. Prioritising Community Ownership and Sustainability
Technology alone does not deliver lasting impact. The Well Beyond App places strong emphasis on community capacity and long‑term management, encouraging:
- Local training and knowledge transfer
- Clear maintenance responsibilities
- Access to locally available spare parts
- Monitoring and performance tracking over time
By embedding sustainability considerations into planning, the app helps prevent the all‑too‑common outcome of abandoned or non‑functional systems.
Better Decisions Lead to Better Water Outcomes
The global water crisis is not caused by a lack of solutions — it is caused by misaligned solutions. The Well Beyond App exists to close that gap. The Well Beyond App (by the Well Aware charity) is designed for community members to maintain and diagnose water systems, allowing them to prevent and solve issues on their own.
In addition to keeping projects up and running, the new tool also aggregates valuable data on how the water systems are used, providing indicators of community-led success.
Note: The Well Aware charity only operates in Kenya and Tanzania for now due to their in-depth local expertise.
