A « fountain » represents the following figures for a village:
-
the provision of purified drinking water at a price of one euro cent per litre
(In the case of Cambodia, this equates to 500 to 900 riels for a 20 litre container. This compares with the typical market price of 2500
riels),
- 2,000 litres of drinking water produced and sold each day in the
village,
-
sufficient production for at least 2 litres per person per day for 1,000 beneficiaries,
-
an average cost per family of €1,40 per month for 2 litres per person per day,
-
an investment cost of about €15,000 per village,
-
employment for two to three people (“operators”) created in each village. These operators can earn an income of around €40 to €50 euro (per month (by comparison, the average income in northern Cambodia is of the order of €10 per month per
family).
The overall objective is to strike a price that is sufficiently low, such that the villagers can purchase the purified water but which generates a living wage for the operator and his/her family and is enough to cover the maintenance costs of the purification system.
