Shallow aquifers across southwestern Bangladesh are chronically contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic (often exceeding 0.05 mg/L Bangladesh standard) and surface sea-water salinity intrusion. Rural women frequently had to walk 3 to 5 kilometers daily just to fetch a single pitcher of drinkable pond water.
RUSTIC's Coastal WASH Infrastructure project installs hydrogeologically mapped deep tubewells tapping into pristine deep Pleistocene aquifers (800–1,200 ft depth). Alongside hardware installations, RUSTIC mobilizes female-led Water User Committees (WUCs) to manage daily operations, routine chlorine testing, and fee collection for sustainable maintenance.
