What Clean Drinking Water Team does

Clean Drinking Water Team (CDWT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in Florida and headquartered in West Palm Beach, founded in November 2017 as the successor to an earlier effort called Water For Small Villages (founded 2012). The organization installs clean drinking water systems — including UV light disinfection, biosand filters, sub-micron filters, and hydraulic ram pumps — in small rural communities that lack government water services, primarily across Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Cuba, and Madagascar, with 16 projects completed through February 2025. Each project is funded in the $1,500-$10,000 range and serves villages of 200 to 1,000 residents, with deliverables including community training, water committee formation, and one year of replacement filters.

The organization operates on a 100% volunteer model: the three-person board (Rick Miessau, Madhav Pandey, and Robert T. Brown III) absorbs all overhead so that 100% of donations flow directly to project costs. Technology partnerships underpin delivery — VIQUA (UV systems, under $0.01/gallon treated), Lifesaver/ICON Technologies (community filters), Sawyer (point-of-use filters), Atlantic Filter Corp, Aldon-Chem (custom test kits), and Bloomsky (weather stations). CDWT also collects and publishes water quality and geographic data through a crowdsourced World Wide Well database.

Funding comes from individual donations, corporate grants (notably Allstate Insurance, ~$13,275 cumulative across 2019-2021), Episcopal church partnerships, collective-giving groups such as 100PalmBeach, GoFundMe, Amazon Smile, and earned-income activities including a pop-up shop selling crafts from project countries and $3,900/person volunteer travel programs to Nepal and Cuba. The organization earned Charity Navigator Gold and GuideStar Gold ratings for transparency. CDWT announced it will sunset in 2025 after completing its 12th Nepal project in February 2025, formally ending a 10-year operating run.

Name

Clean Drinking Water Team

Legal name

Clean Drinking Water Team Inc.

Website

https://cleandrinkingwaterteam.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clean Drinking Water Team is a 100% volunteer Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that installs low-cost UV, biosand, and ram-pump water systems in underserved rural villages across Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Cuba, and Madagascar, funded by donations, grants, and volunteer travel programs. The organization announced a 2025 sunset after 16 completed projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Water Access and Sanitation Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

Keywords

• Clean water solutions
• Rural water access
• Water purification systems
• Humanitarian water projects
• Water filtration services

Headquarters

HQ city

West Palm Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Individual donations, corporate grants (Allstate Insurance), and foundation support. The organization has received multiple grants from Allstate Insurance ($2,500-$5,000 per year) and support from organizations like 100PalmBeach ($100 per member). Board members contribute their time and resources to cover all overhead costs.
2. Pop-up Shop and Merchandise Sales: Sale of items brought back from project locations including crafts, clothing, accessories, food items (coffee, tea, spices), and artwork. 100% of proceeds go directly to clean water projects.
3. Travel Tours: CDWT organizes travel opportunities for supporters to visit project sites in Nepal, Cuba, and other locations. The 2018 Nepal trip cost $3,900 per person including airfare, visas, hotel, meals, ground transportation, and excursions, with a $250 donation towards the project.
4. Fundraising Events: Silent auctions, lunch and learn presentations, craft beer events, and house concerts. In 2018, 66% of CDWT funding was derived from fundraising efforts, travel tours, and silent auctions.
5. Water Test Kit Sales: Sale of water test kits assembled by CDWT for home and travel use. 100% of profits go directly towards clean water projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Clean Drinking Water Team (CDWT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that identifies, funds, and installs clean drinking water solutions in small rural villages in developing countries. Core activities include installing community water filtration systems (UV purification, biosand filters, sub-micron filters), building spring box and piped water distribution systems with storage tanks, deploying hydraulic ram pumps, training local communities in operation and maintenance, and conducting water quality testing and data collection. Projects typically cost $1,500–$10,000 and serve 40 to 1,000 residents per village.

Product overview

Clean Drinking Water Team (CDWT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides clean drinking water solutions for small, rural communities. Their primary offerings include water filter and purification systems, hydraulic ram pumps, and water quality testing services. They partner with technology providers like LIFESAVER (water filters), VIQUA (UV purification), SAWYER (micro-filters), and BLOOMSKY (weather stations) to deliver comprehensive water solutions. The organization also operates a Pop-Up Shop selling handmade items from project communities as a fundraising initiative. All products focus on providing long-term, sustainable clean water access to underserved populations, with projects typically costing between $1,500-$10,000 and serving 40-1,000 residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CDWT Water Filter and Purification System Water filter and purification system installed in rural communities, combining 5-micron pre-filtration, sub-micron filtration, and UV light disinfection. Outputs up to 10 gallons of potable drinking water per minute. Complete household system costs $1,000 and includes installation, community training, and 1 year of replacement filters.
• Community Water Distribution System Spring box, pipe system, water storage tank, and pump installation designed to bring clean drinking water to a village of approximately 200 people. Typical installations include 1-4 km of water pipe, 30ft+ deep wells with submersible pumps, 2,000 gallon water storage tanks, and spring box collection systems. Cost ranges from $1,500-$10,000 per project.
• Hydraulic Ram Pump Energy-free water pump using gravity and water hammer effect to move water uphill without external power. Can move 40% of source water 10x higher than the source elevation, with optimal installations achieving 20x elevation gains. Demonstrated by Rick Miessau for field deployments.
• Water Quality Testing and Data Collection Water sampling, testing, and data collection service that measures pH, alkalinity, coliform bacteria, TDS, iron, copper, lead, nitrate, nitrite, hardness, and free chlorine levels. CDWT maintains a database of water sample sites and offers public access to water test data. Local community members are trained to test water independently.
• Pop-Up Shop Online and event-based store selling items brought back from project trips, including shirts, pillows, hats, bags, scarves, books, flags, spices, coffee, tea, bowls, jewelry, and art from Nepal, Cuba, Haiti, Madagascar, Honduras, and the Philippines. 100% of proceeds are directed to clean water projects.
• Water Test Kits Custom water test kits developed with Aldon-Chem for home, travel, and community use. Kits include test strips for coliform, TDS, pH, alkalinity, iron, copper, lead, nitrate, nitrite, hardness, and free chlorine. 100% of sales profits support clean water projects.
• Volunteer Travel Program Multi-day volunteer travel experiences for supporters to join active CDWT project teams in Nepal, Cuba, and other project locations. The 2018 Nepal trip was priced at $3,900 per person including airfare, visas, hotel, meals, ground transportation, daily excursions, and a $250 project donation. Optional add-ons include Everest mountain flight ($250), Mustang Valley trip ($350), and Everest trail hike ($400).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 people served in Nepal region
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Atlantic Filter CorpcoreTechnology or IntegrationFamily-owned Florida-based water filter/water treatment company delivering clean drinking water systems in South Florida since 1955. Supplier of water filters and water purification systems for CDWT projects.
• Lifesaver Water (ICON Technologies)coreTechnology or IntegrationBritish microbiological water filter company providing Lifesaver Bottle, Liberty Bottle, Jerrycan, and C2 community-sized filter systems. Products meet EPA, ISO9000, NSF Protocol P231 and P248 standards. Partnership formed June 2018. CDWT received 30 Lifesaver water filters for Nepal projects.
• VIQUAcoreTechnology or IntegrationCanadian manufacturer of water purification systems offering special discount pricing on D4 ultraviolet purification systems. Partnership formed April 2019. VIQUA D4 systems can deliver purified water for less than $0.01 per gallon. Installed in Cuba and Honduras projects.
• 100 Palm BeachminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGroup of like-minded people giving back to the community through quarterly events where three charitable organizations present and members vote to support. Selected CDWT as top presentation in April 2019, donating $100 per member.
• Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-SeacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFlorida Southeast diocese Episcopal Church that has funded numerous humanitarian group projects in Honduras, including CDWT's 2018 drinking water project at Our Little Roses orphanage in San Pedro Sula.
• Friends of the Episcopal Church of Cuba (FECC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSA-based non-profit assisting communities in Cuba, including installing drinking water systems. Organizations collaborate on drinking water projects in Cuba, coordinating ongoing work and hosting CDWT visits.
• Amazon SmileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegistered non-profit organization with Amazon Smile. When supporters select CDWT, 0.1% of every purchase is donated to clean water projects.
• Vita NovaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida-based post-fostercare non-profit rescuing and assisting homeless youth. Organizations exploring collaboration opportunities and CDWT applied for grant to help fund a foster youth volunteer on a future water project.
• IHE Water Professionals Program (Delft University)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUN-sponsored educational program training future water leaders from developing countries. CDWT presented to 2019 visiting delegation of students, delivering 30-minute presentation on water projects.
• Jupiter Uniforms, Signs and GraphicsminorOthersLocal Jupiter Florida business supplying project shirts, embroidered hats, and door magnets. Helps with special requests including Nepali and Spanish font.
• Greatwestern PrintingminorOthersLake Worth Florida printer supplying project shirts, embroidered hats, and door magnets. Helps with Nepali font, Spanish text, and logo printed items.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• charity: water: Largest dedicated clean water nonprofit, funding clean drinking water projects in developing countries. Directly comparable to CDWT in mission and beneficiary profile, though operating at vastly greater scale ($100M+ raised annually) with sophisticated donor reporting and 100% model.
• WaterAid: International nonprofit focused on water, sanitation and hygiene in 22 countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Direct WASH sector peer operating in similar geographies (Haiti-style Least Developed Countries) with community-owned model.
• Wine To Water: Small nonprofit providing clean water access through filtration technology in developing countries. Highly comparable in scale, donor-supported model, and community-level filter deployment — operates in similar geographies to CDWT.
• Blood:Water: Nonprofit partnering with African organizations to deliver clean water and HIV/AIDS support. Comparable small-scale WASH nonprofit model with strong donor reporting and community-ownership emphasis.
• Water.org: Global nonprofit co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White focused on water access and sanitation in developing countries. Comparable WASH mission; uses market-based financing (WaterCredit) approach versus CDWT's volunteer/donation model.
• DigDeep: Nonprofit working to close the water access gap in underserved communities in the U.S. and internationally. Comparable small-scale, donor-funded water infrastructure model with measurable per-household outcomes.
• Water For People: Nonprofit working to ensure access to clean water and sanitation in developing countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Closely comparable in community ownership model, geographic mix (Honduras, Haiti-adjacent regions), and donor-funded project delivery.
• Wells Bring Hope: Small nonprofit drilling wells to bring clean water to rural villages in Niger and West Africa. Highly comparable in scale, rural village focus, and donor-funded project delivery model with measurable per-well beneficiary counts.
• Engineers Without Borders USA: Volunteer-engineer-led nonprofit implementing water and sanitation infrastructure in developing countries. Direct peer in technical volunteer project model, multi-country deployment, and community partnership approach.

Emerging players

• Planet Water Foundation: Nonprofit deploying water filtration systems and hygiene education in schools and communities across Asia and Latin America. Comparable product offering (community-scale filtration) but focused more on school settings than rural villages.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChblUtWMZO0xVoyV5dwJS6w/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/CleanDrinkingWaterTeam/members
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean-drinking-water-team-inc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clean Drinking Water Team