— the plan targets to reach every child by 2030
RENUKA RAI | Thimphu
More than 75,000 children across Bhutan are already benefiting from access to safe drinking water through a nationwide filtration programme, as a major expansion supported by the 2025 Zayed Sustainability Prize accelerates efforts to achieve universal access to clean water in schools and institutions by 2030.
The initiative, led by the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Rotary Club of Thimphu (RCT) in partnership with Australia’s SkyJuice Foundation, has evolved from a small school-based intervention into a nationwide programme reaching hundreds of educational and community institutions across the country. It now covers an estimated 85 percent of schools in Bhutan.
According to SkyJuice Foundation Director Rhett Butler, the programme began with a simple request from Bhutan. “The initiative was originally sparked by the RCT, which approached SkyJuice Foundation seeking a SkyHydrant water filtration unit for a school,” Butler said. “Through our partner DAA, we supplied an initial 10 SkyHydrant units, and over time that partnership grew into a nationwide effort.”
From that starting point in 2018, the Bhutan 2020 initiative expanded rapidly with support from government agencies, local partners, and international funding. Today, around 240 schools across all 20 dzongkhags are part of the programme.
Before the intervention, many schools relied on untreated natural water sources drawn directly from streams and watersheds. While these sources are common in Bhutan’s mountainous environment, they are often exposed to contamination from human and animal activity.
“Many schools had limited or no access to reliable safe drinking water,” Butler said. “They relied on untreated natural water sources that contained harmful pathogens, resulting in children regularly suffering from waterborne illnesses such as diarrhoea and dysentery.”
These illnesses had wider consequences beyond health, contributing to high absenteeism, reduced classroom performance, and additional strain on families and local health services.
Bhutan’s geography continues to present major challenges for infrastructure delivery. Communities are widely scattered across steep and remote terrain, making it difficult and costly to provide consistent access to essential services, including safe drinking water.
“Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of health, education, and social development,” Butler said. “Despite Bhutan’s remarkable progress in water supply infrastructure, providing access remains a major challenge owing to scattered human settlements and dependency on untreated natural water.”
To address this gap, the SkyHydrant filtration system was introduced as part of the Bhutan 2020 programme. The technology is designed to remove bacteria, viruses, and turbidity from water without the need for electricity or chemicals. Its low-maintenance design makes it particularly suitable for remote schools and communities.
The impact has been significant. According to programme data, more than 75,000 children across 146 schools are currently receiving safe drinking water through installed systems. Schools report fewer cases of waterborne disease, improved attendance, and better student concentration.
“The results have been remarkable, with improved health outcomes, better attendance, enhanced concentration in the classroom, and reduced pressure on local health services,” Butler said.
The latest phase of expansion has been made possible through funding linked to the 2025 Zayed Sustainability Prize, which SkyJuice Foundation won in the Water Category. The funding has enabled a large-scale deployment of filtration systems across schools and institutions in Bhutan, with equipment valued at approximately USD 370,000.
The equipment package includes 20 SkyHydrant MAX units, 50 Squirt-MS multi-station systems, 500 Squirt single units, and 1,000 Platypus household filtration units.
All equipment was fully received by the RCT in August 2025, with freight and customs duties covered by SkyJuice Foundation.
Installations are already underway across the country. So far, 10 SkyHydrant MAX units have been successfully installed in schools in Bumthang, Punakha, Chhukha, Mongar, Pemagatshel, Samdrup Jongkhar, Sarpang, Tashi Yangtse, and Tsirang, collectively benefiting 5,810 students.
A second batch of 10 SkyHydrant MAX units is currently being deployed in schools under the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, as well as in training institutes and health-related programmes. This phase also includes installations at the National Search and Rescue Training Centre in Chhukha, which alone will serve approximately 1,200 beneficiaries.
Alongside larger systems, the programme is scaling up smaller and more flexible solutions. Deployment of 50 Squirt-MS multi-station units has begun, targeting smaller schools, Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) centres, and monastic institutions. So far, 40 units have already been distributed across multiple dzongkhags, including Trashigang, Tsirang, Wangdue, Bumthang, Dagana, Chhukha, and Zhemgang.
In Thimphu Thromde, 20 schools are receiving Squirt single units. Due to high student populations in several institutions, some systems are being upgraded into multi-station configurations using low-cost pipe modifications costing about Nu. 3,000 per upgrade, improving capacity without significantly increasing costs.
At the community level, 1,000 Platypus filtration units are being distributed to rural households, construction worker camps, nomadic communities, and organisations such as the Tarayana Foundation. These portable units are designed for household use but require containers for setup, making them suitable for flexible deployment in remote and vulnerable settings.
Training and capacity building remain central to the long-term sustainability of the programme with structured sessions conducted under the project to equip school staff focusing on installation, operation, and maintenance of all filtration systems.
The programme’s sustainability model is based on local ownership. Schools and institutions are responsible for maintaining the systems after installation, supported by structured training and technical guidance. Some of the earliest installations dating back to 2019 continue to operate successfully, demonstrating the durability of the systems and effectiveness of the maintenance approach.
Despite strong progress, logistical challenges remain significant. Bhutan’s mountainous terrain makes transportation of equipment difficult and time-consuming. Many beneficiary institutions are located in remote areas accessible only through long and complex delivery routes.
Installation also requires additional infrastructure such as water tanks, pipe networks, taps, and protective shelters for filtration units. Coordination between schools, local authorities, and implementing partners is essential to ensure successful deployment.
“The systems are well suited to rural and remote environments,” Butler said. “But transporting equipment across the country requires significant coordination and is very time consuming.”
Looking ahead, the Bhutan 2030: Equal Access to Safe Drinking Water for Every Child initiative aims to extend coverage to all remaining schools and institutions nationwide. These include ECCD centres, schools, tertiary institutions, technical training institutes, monastic institutions, non-formal education centres, colleges, and vocational institutes, collectively serving more than 212,000 learners.
Beyond educational institutions, future expansion is expected to reach rural households, nomadic communities, construction worker camps, village temples, and health facilities including Basic Health Units and hospitals.
However, project partners emphasize that achieving full national coverage will require continued financial support, logistics coordination, and strong institutional partnerships.
“We will need additional funding for equipment and logistics to scale our impact further and reach more people,” Butler said. “But the programme has already demonstrated impressive results across Bhutan.”
For Bhutan, where geography often determines access to essential services, the initiative represents a scalable and sustainable solution to one of its most persistent development challenges. As new installations continue and training programmes expand, the country moves closer to its goal of ensuring that every child, regardless of location, has access to safe drinking water by 2030.
