Water Mission Wraps Up Ukraine Response, Transitions to Long-Term Solution

Three years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine, triggering a humanitarian crisis that remains ongoing. Thousands of families were forced to flee as missiles and rockets destroyed homes and other infrastructure, leaving millions without basic services like safe water and hygiene supplies.

Shortly after the conflict started, Water Mission deployed its Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to the region to serve displaced Ukrainians crossing the border into neighboring countries. In April 2022 — after meeting these immediate needs — the organization’s strategy shifted to providing safe water within Ukraine as Water Mission made its first moves into the country. Water Mission transitioned to Kyiv shortly after the Russian forces were pushed back.

Upon request from the Ukrainian government, Water Mission began working closely with city officials and local organizations to identify the most strategic places to install or repair water systems. The organization also deployed mobile safe water systems to areas on the front lines, where access to safe water was limited.

Over the past three years, Water Mission’s DART members, largely consisting of local Ukrainians, accomplished the following:

• Distributed 3 million water purification packets and 11,475 hygiene kits.
• Installed 89 reverse osmosis systems, six solar-powered water systems and six mobile water systems that provided access near the front lines.
• Provided more than 52 million gallons (200 million liters) of safe water, producing up to 320,00 liters and serving 100,000 people per day.
• Drilled 28 boreholes across the country.
• Provided safe water to people in over 200 locations.
• Partnered with more than 20 churches and local ministries in and around Ukraine, helping them respond to emergency needs in their communities.
• Trained Ukrainian technicians on the care and maintenance of Water Mission safe water treatment systems, building a sustainable solution led primarily by local residents.

“We are grateful for groups like Water Mission that help us get drinking water and give us the ability to stay and fight to keep our city working,” said one Ukrainian couple living in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. “We will not leave Mykolaiv, and Water Mission makes that possible for us.”

Also out of Water Mission’s three-year response came a team of Ukrainians who are passionate about bringing safe water to their neighbors amid a war-torn land. This team was led by Craig Williams, who has been living and working in Ukraine while overseeing Water Mission’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program there.

“This brave and committed team of 23 Ukrainians has achieved these incredible results,” Williams said. “We have never been more than two internationals stationed here, myself and our amazing lead engineer Daniel Droy. All of the work and critical actions taken have been Ukrainian; every key decision at pivotal moments in the program has been Ukrainian. Daniel and I just facilitated. It was important to us that this program was always about Ukrainians helping Ukrainians, not foreigners imposing their version of what [that] should be.” 

LOOKING FORWARD: A LASTING SOLUTION FOR SAFE WATER IN UKRAINE. On Feb. 1, with sustainability in mind, Water Mission transitioned out of its response in Ukraine by transferring the majority of operations to an in-country organization called Camino. Williams now leads Camino, which comprises many team members who served with Water Mission and are committed to continuing the work they started.

“With the endless ballistic missile and drone attacks, artillery shelling, ground assaults, so many noisy sleepless nights and countless close calls, still everyone showed up for work and never missed a step,” Williams said. “Therefore, the only logical solution was to rebrand this incredible team. Because of the journey the team had been on to get here and, similarly, the journey of the people we serve, the team settled on the name Camino, meaning path.”

Water Mission will continue assisting the operations and maintenance of select safe water treatment systems and provide Camino with the support needed to ensure a smooth transition, said the organization.

Water Mission said handing over operations to Camino is an opportunity for the organization to promote localization in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector as it transitions its disaster response into long-term programming. The organization said it is confident that this approach will allow the work it started to continue in good hands, guided by local needs and opportunities to provide safe water to Ukrainians for years to come.