1) Is the water charity on the ground?
One of the most important factors in a well’s long-term sustainability is a real understanding of the local community. Being on the ground—and staffed by local people—improves everything from site selection to follow-up. Impact grows when a charity has staff and an office where it works, engages community stakeholders before, during, and after construction, and understands why one area may be ready for a well while another might need additional training first.
Ask who conducts site assessments, who attends handover, and who returns for follow-up. Ask whether you can receive photos of your project—and whether you can name the well with a tasteful inscription tile.
2) Who actually drills the wells?
Does the organization own and operate its drilling rigs, or does it directly supervise contractors in the field? Teams that drill themselves usually have a deeper understanding of the terrain, logistics, and community needs—and a stronger stake in long-term success. While many contractors do excellent work, they’re paid for completion, and if a well fails, they may be paid again to redrill.
Ask about hydro-geologic surveys: are they completed before drilling, or is the team “drilling and hoping”? Surveys help estimate depth and expected yield. Ask about materials: Do they pour concrete aprons to prevent standing water (which attracts mosquitoes, a major malaria risk)? Do they use galvanized iron riser pipes, or do they upgrade to stainless-steel riser pipes that won’t rust and require fewer replacements over time?
3) What is the plan for long-term sustainability?
Ribbon-cuttings are exciting, but they’re day one—not the finish line. What kind of pump is installed, and is it appropriate for the area (hand pump, solar system, or other)? Are local mechanics trained to maintain that model? Are spare parts affordable and available locally? Is there a trained water user committee that understands daily care, queue management, and how to fund small repairs?
Ask how often the charity checks back, how issues are reported, and what the escalation path looks like when something breaks.
4) Do they connect water, sanitation, and education?
Clean water works best alongside sanitation and hygiene. Schools and clinics need reliable water for handwashing, kitchens, and safe births. Projects that include hygiene and sanitation training—and consider how water access protects girls’ learning time—deliver stronger, more measurable results.
5) How transparent is the reporting?
You should be able to see what was built and where. Look for clear documentation: village or school name, district, GPS coordinates, photos, and, when appropriate, short first-person stories from the community. Good reporting makes it easy to understand how your money was spent and who benefits.
6) How do I know the well in the photos is the well I funded?
Some organizations set an inscription tile, with wording you choose, into the base of the well. When you see the photos, you can confirm it’s your project—and the tile also reminds the community whom to contact if a problem arises.
7) What does it really cost—and why?
Costs vary with distance, mobilization, geology, depth, road access, and security. Sending a rig, compressor truck, and outreach team on a long drive for a single well is expensive; clustering multiple wells in one area spreads transport costs and lowers the per-well price. Fuel, maintenance for rigs and compressors, and fair wages for skilled crews also matter.
Since 2006, Drop in the Bucket has refined true costs for drilling and sustaining wells. As of 2025, a deep drilled borehole with an India Mk II hand pump in Uganda is $7,500—our most fair and transparent price for that context. In places with deeper water tables or hard volcanic rock, costs can be higher; in countries that manufacture pumps locally, costs can be lower. The right price is the one that covers everything required to build a reliable water point and keep it working.
8) How does a water charity measure success?
Yield varies by aquifer and geology; high-yield and lower-yield wells can both transform daily life. More telling indicators are the human ones: How many people use the well each day? How many children are in class instead of walking for water? Are clinics reporting fewer waterborne illnesses? Is the user committee active after 6–12 months?
In short, what matters most isn’t a single liters-per-hour figure, but the measurable, positive change the water brings.
Quick questions to ask any water charity
Do they have staff and an office where they work? Who owns or directly supervises drilling—from survey to pump test? What keeps the system working: spare parts, training, and follow-up? Do they publish specific project details (location, depth, photos, beneficiaries)? Do they integrate sanitation, hygiene, and education where appropriate? Can you connect personally with the project (updates, site visits, or inscriptions)? Are budgets clear and complete?
Bottom line
If you’re weighing how to vet water charities, choose a group that is present at the work site, responsible for the drilling, invested in long-term stewardship, and transparent in reporting—while advancing water, sanitation, and education together. That’s how a donation becomes reliable clean water that changes daily life, season after season.