What is The Beacon Project?

The Beacon Project was established in 2017 to bring clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to every person living in Lahan, a small town in south-eastern Nepal. We aim to deliver universal, sustainable and safe access to these three essentials by 2030, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 6.

The project is a multi-stakeholder partnership through which we strive to be a model of best practice for delivering water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Nepal and beyond.

The project is supported and funded by Anglian Water, a UK water utility, and its supply chain partners. Funds are raised for the project through charitable events, and technical advice is provided through exchange visits and online meetings. In Nepal, our partners are the Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC), the Ministry of Water Supply (MoWS) and Lahan Municipality. WaterAid staff in Nepal and the UK work as advisors and facilitators for The Beacon Project.

What has The Beacon Project achieved so far?

Zoom in and out and click on the icons in the map below to explore the different projects. Open the panel on the left-hand-side to see progress over time. 

Key
Black = existing infrastructure/offices
Green = completed works
Orange = works in progress

Clean water

In the years since The Beacon Project started, we have made significant improvements to the water supply in Lahan.

  • We drilled eight new boreholes to an improved specification and rehabilitated four old boreholes, enabling NWSC to supply water for ten to 12 hours a day (up from five hours in 2016).
  • We installed three chlorine dosing stations to ensure that the water going into the piped network is clean and safe to drink.
  • We connected more people to the piped network, meaning 6 out of 10 people in the NWSC supply area are connected (up from 4 out of 10 in 2016).
  • We prioritise connections to disadvantaged Dalit communities. Over 700 Dalit people now have access to piped water in their houses.
  • We provided safe, clean water in 15 local schools, giving over 4,600 students and teachers access to safe water during the school day.

Decent toilets

We work with a local NGO, Dalit JanKalyan Yuba Club (DJKYC), to provide access to decent toilets for thousands of people:

  • We have built and renovated toilets in 17 schools, serving over 8,700 students and teachers.
  • We have constructed toilet blocks in Wards 2, 5 and 11, providing sanitation for more than 500 people from Dalit households.
  • We have also developed plans for Lahan’s first faecal sludge management plant in close collaboration with Lahan Municipality. We will support the construction and management of this facility in the coming years to provide a sustainable and environmentally sound sanitation service to the whole town.

Good hygiene

We also work with DJKYC to promote good hygiene behaviours and provide new facilities for handwashing in Lahan:

  • We have installed child-friendly handwashing stations in 17 schools, serving over 8,700 students and teachers.
  • We promote good hygiene through local radio and community champions.
  • We maintain 50 handwashing stations in public places and healthcare facilities, used by approximately 30,000 people.
  • We have hosted 86 community events to promote good hygiene behaviours, reaching over 1,600 people.
  • We have visited 25 schools to teach about the importance of handwashing, menstrual hygiene and solid waste management.

Blogs

Resources

Project partners

Lahan logo

Lahan Municipality

Lahan Municipality is the local government body responsible for development, including drinking water, basic health and sanitation. It leads the Beacon Project Steering Committee and supports effective delivery of project activities, particularly sanitation services. 

NWSC logo

Nepal Water Supply Corporation

The Nepal Water Supply Corporation is a public utility delivering and managing water supply in 24 towns across Nepal, including in Lahan.  

Anglian Water logo

Anglian Water

Anglian Water is a private water company in the UK and one of the founding members of WaterAid.  Employees contribute technical advice and capacity building to The Beacon Project through regular online meetings and occasional site visits. They organise diverse fundraising events to support the delivery of project activities in Lahan.  

WaterAid logo

WaterAid

WaterAid is responsible for overall programme management to ensure delivery of the project plan, as approved by the Beacon Board. It provides secretarial support to the Project Steering Committee, Board and workstream meetings and facilitates the necessary technical support. 

Ministry of Water Supply, Nepal

The Ministry of Water Supply is the national government body responsible for the formulation of national WASH policies and plans, as well as delivery, regulation and evaluation of programmes across Nepal. MoWS provides strategic input to the Beacon Project through the Board and determines NWSC’s high level budget and management.  

DJKYC

DJKYC is a local NGO to Lahan which employs people to identify and extend services to the poorest, most vulnerable and marginalised communities.