Our history

The Thirsty Third World Conference brings members of the UK water industry together. They decide to unite, to reach the millions of people living without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.

WaterAid is officially established on July 21, 1981. Our first projects start in Zambia and Sri Lanka.

We’re working with local partners in ten countries.

Your suport has helped us to reach 350,000 people.

We begin work on our 1,000th project We fund the Hitosa Gravity Scheme, the largest single water supply scheme in Ethiopia, reaching 50,000 people.

Our first advocacy report, Mega-slums: The coming sanitary crisis, is released.

Our presence in Pakistan goes back to 1996 through our long term implementation support to our partners working in water and sanitation programmes in the country.

Thanks to amazing people like you and our partners around the world, we've enabled over six million people to build a better life.

Thanks to amazing people like you and our partners around the world, we've enabled over six million people to build a better life.

Alongside other groups, we successfully lobby to get sanitation added to the list of MDGs.

The UN declares clean water a human right.

We're now working in 15 countries.

WaterAid establishes its first office in Pakistan.

The UN declares an International Year of Sanitation. With toilets still a neglected topic, we address the UN commission for sustainable development, highlighting their importance.

We've reached 13.4 million people with clean water and 8.1 million with decent toilets.

Access to decent toilets is declared a human right.

WaterAid international is founded, to help country members and programmes within the WaterAid federation work together effectively and efficiently.

In May, we launch an ambitious new global strategy to reach everyone, everywhere with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.

We reached over 77,000 people with clean water, 200,000 with decent toilets and 22,000 with good hygiene.