Skip to content

ARKHumanitarian Group

Project 000

Africa Water Security Strategy and Reference Design Package

This strategic pre-feasibility report establishes a ten-year water security programme for Africa, targeting 750 million residents.

UnclassifiedNot yet documented1 published document

All project documents

Sector: Held apart from the sectors
Geographic scope: West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, North Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Kenya, Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia
Status: Proposed project type
Documents: 1 published

Project mission

To address the critical lack of safe drinking water for 750 million residents across Africa, this ten-year programme implements a staged, least-cost infrastructure strategy. By delivering reliable, free-at-the-point-of-use water through a combination of repaired systems, protected groundwater, and selective regional reinforcements, the intervention aims to secure universal access, verified service quality, and funded long-term operations, creating a sustainable foundation for public health and community development.

It details a service strategy, reproducible cost model, and four reference designs (rural, town, desalination, trunk main) to guide decision-making. The programme prioritises repair of existing systems, source protection, and modular supply over large-scale new infrastructure. Funded by the Ark Humanitarian Group's master plan, it requires verified readiness at every stage gate. The document provides itemized budgets, a programme schedule, and a proposed leadership structure to oversee procurement, verification, and operations. Nothing in this document serves as a funding, permit, or construction certification.

Reviewed Nov 14, 2026.

Purpose

The need

From the source document

68 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have at least basic drinking water; 32 percent have safely managed water.
28 countries have more than one in four people lacking basic service.
Progress is slow and the access gap is widest where delivery is most difficult.
The annual investment gap for water security and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa is 45–54 billion United States dollars per year.

Intended communities

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

The illustrative cohort is 750 million residents across Africa.
Coverage includes 350 million rural residents, 250 million town residents, and 150 million urban residents.

Objectives

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Deliver safe, reliable, free-at-the-point-of-use drinking water to an illustrative 750 million residents across Africa by 2036.
Deliver 500 million new or restored access opportunities and 250 million reliability and quality upgrades.

Services and delivery

Services and components

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Rural piped system (Module R): 5,000 residents.
Town treatment works (Module T): 50,000 residents.
Coastal desalination plant (Module D): 100,000 cubic metres per day.
Regional trunk main (Module K): 0.50 cubic metres per second bulk transfer.

How the project works

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

The programme uses four service layers: Local supply (boreholes/springs), Regional reinforcement (trunk mains/reservoirs), Coastal augmentation (desalination), and Remote provision (independent systems).
Staged implementation with decision gates 0–6 to ensure funding and evidence readiness.
Service is free for essential household use; operators are paid for verified delivery.

Infrastructure and technical requirements

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Standardized modular designs (Modules R, T, D, K) for scalability.
Solutions include repair of existing systems, protected boreholes, treated surface water, and coastal desalination where economically viable.
Technical standards include water safety plans, monitoring, and robust maintenance supply chains.

Workforce and training

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

A central executive team of 60, plus six country teams of 25.
Programme builds local capacity for drilling, engineering, operation and maintenance.
Training pathways focus on water system operators, electrical technicians, and civil construction crews.

Logistics and supply chains

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Procurement divided into six lots per country: A (Investigations/design), B (Source works), C (Civil/tanks), D (Equipment frameworks), E (Pipes/networks), F (Operations/verification).
Logistics planning accounts for port access, road conditions, and seasonal constraints.
Focus on local supply chains for maintenance and critical spares.

Operations and maintenance

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Operating cost includes ongoing operations and a renewal reserve (1 percent of direct capital per year) - Steady-state requirement is 31.18 billion United States dollars per year (at 2026 prices) - Operators must be licensed and follow service specifications for hours, pressure and quality - Ark pays operators for verified delivery, subject to deductions for failures

Implementation

Implementation phases

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Foundation: controls, registers, baselines, pilot designs (November 2026 to November 2027) - Demonstration: repairs, first districts, logistics, operators (July 2027 to November 2029) - Regional expansion: standard design families, supply frameworks (July 2029 to November 2031) - Scaled deployment: peak construction and connections (July 2031 to November 2034) - Completion and continuity: defects, verification, post-2036 funding (July 2034 to December 2036) - Operations, renewal and independent verification (from July 2028, continuing)

Budget and resources

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Total programme capital case: 816.75 billion United States dollars (constant 2026 prices) - First-year preparation programme: 250 million United States dollars - Operating and renewal funding: 31.18 billion United States dollars per year at full rollout - Funding is released in tranches against gate-level evidence, not as a lump sum

Risks and dependencies

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Risks include unsustainable abstraction, contamination, energy failure, flood damage, physical losses/theft, cost/currency escalation, conflict/access loss, and equipment failure - Risks are managed via a live register with owners, early warning signs and required responses - Programme management uses gates and independent engineer hold points to mitigate technical and procurement risks

Community and outcomes

Community participation

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Communities participate in siting, access rules and complaint resolution - Resident panels assist with grievance processes - Service standards and free-service boundaries are agreed with local jurisdictions - Transparent service charters and grievance processes are implemented to protect users

Environmental and social considerations

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Source protection and sanitation prevent contamination - Water safety plans required from catchment to consumer - Environmental and social screening conducted before package approval - Brine from desalination managed according to permitted discharge and environmental pathways - Flood-safe siting is required for infrastructure

Intended outcomes and measurement

Proposed outcome, not a reported result

Performance is measured by unique households served, verified service hours and water-quality compliance - Independent verification and audit verify claims - Dashboards publish results - Outcomes are reported for worst-served districts first

Documents

Main project strategyCurrent project strategyCurrent edition

Africa Water Security Strategy

This is a strategic pre-feasibility report that establishes a service strategy, cost model, reference designs, and a delivery programme for providing drinking water to an illustrative cohort of 750 million residents across Africa.

Version: 1.0
Published: Nov 14, 2026
Language: English
Size: 7.6 MB
Pages: 90

Sources

The document, version, and pages behind the statements on this page.

GeneralAfrica Water Security Strategy and Reference Design PackageAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 1
Project missionA ten-year programme to deliver safe, reliable, free-at-the-point-of-use drinking water to an illustrative 750 million residents across AfricaAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 1, 4
SummaryStrategic pre-feasibility report, central capital of 816.75 billion, 750 million residents.Africa Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 2, 4, 38
Geographic scopeTen example settings: Agadir, Gabès, Dakar, Tamale, Kinshasa, Douala, Garissa, Dire Dawa, Walvis Bay, Nelson Mandela Bay.Africa Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 53, 54, 55
GeneralStrategic pre-feasibility report; not for construction, procurement or funding certification.Africa Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 2, 4
The needAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 5, 6
Intended communitiesAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 4, 7
ObjectivesAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 1, 4, 7
Services and componentsAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 11
How the project worksAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 4, 8, 10
Infrastructure and technical requirementsAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 6, 8, 10, 11
Workforce and trainingAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 44
Logistics and supply chainsAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 43
Implementation phasesAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 41
Operations and maintenanceAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 10, 38, 39
Community participationAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 8, 10, 44
Environmental and social considerationsAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 6, 10, 19, 52, 53
Budget and resourcesAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 4, 5, 38, 42
Risks and dependenciesAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 6, 50, 51, 52
Intended outcomes and measurementAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 4, 10, 45
Figure750 million residents to be served or upgraded by 2036.Africa Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 4
Figure10 million cubic metres per day desalination capacity in the central model.Africa Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 7, 8
Figure31.18 billion United States dollars per year of operating/renewal funding needed after full rollout.Africa Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 4, 10
FigureIllustrative residents served or upgraded by 2036: 750 millionAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 1, 4
FigureTen-year central capital case: 816.75 billion United States dollarsAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 4, 38
FigureSteady-state operating and renewal funding: 31.18 billion United States dollars per yearAfrica Water Security Strategy, version 1.0, pages 4, 10, 38

Questions and answers

What is the primary goal of Project 000?

To deliver safe, reliable, free-at-the-point-of-use drinking water to an illustrative 750 million residents across Africa over a ten-year programme.

Who pays for the water service?

Ark funds defined essential household allocations and institutional service; operators are paid for verified delivery, and essential service price to users is zero.

Does the project guarantee unlimited water supply?

No, a free system cannot promise unlimited water. Essential service is designed at 50 litres per person per day.

Are there construction sites selected yet?

No. This is a strategic pre-feasibility report that does not establish any site, corridor, permit, partner or contractor price.

How is water quality managed?

Every scheme carries a water safety plan from catchment to consumer, with routine laboratory tests and non-conforming water held or diverted automatically.

What happens if a project is delayed or exceeds costs?

A delay of more than 90 days or a cost increase above 15 percent on any package triggers a mandatory reforecast of cost and timing to the board.

Take part in this project

Community organizations, technical specialists, implementation partners, and prospective funding partners can open a conversation about project 000.

Discuss project 000