The programs
Evidence Action, in-line chlorination, IndiaChlorine dosed into piped water at the source. $1 to $3 per person-year of safe water. GiveWell rates it at 22 times cash transfers. Across 18 randomized trials, water treatment cut deaths of children under five by 24% to 27%. Delivery proven by testing household water for chlorine. First track.
charity: water, wells and sensorsGPS coordinates and photos for every project, remote flow sensors logging about 25 million liters a month, each gift matched to a project within about 21 months, about $40 per person. Proof you can point at. Second track.
Planet Water Foundation, AquaTowersCommunity filtration systems, each filtering 1,000 liters an hour for up to 1,800 people. Partner outreach.
GiveWell's water programThe evidence bar the scorecard is measured against, and a route for pooled grants. In outreach.
How a program qualifies
Evidence firstRandomized trials or outside evaluations of health or access outcomes, with the cost per person-year published.
Proof of deliveryChlorine tests, GPS and photos, flow sensors. Delivery counts only when confirmed from outside.
Restricted money, named fundingThe program accepts restricted grants routed through Dropmatch and allows the funding to be named on the public ledger.
Additional and counted onceWater delivered because of the grant, with credit split among funders in proportion to what they paid.
Year one funds programs in developing countries only. Same-basin replenishment near data centers is a later track, labeled separately.
How water is counted
Volumes follow Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting 2.0 and the WASH Benefits Accounting Framework: 20 liters per person per day, the lower of the capacity-based and beneficiary-based estimate, actual users rather than the whole village, uptake discounts, and the words "contributed to". Every unit is retired once in the registry.
Status
| Program | Track | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence Action | Health per dollar, first | Agreement in outreach |
| charity: water | Proof you can point at, second | Agreement in outreach |
| Planet Water Foundation | Community filtration | Partner outreach |
| GiveWell water program | Evidence bar, pooled grants | In outreach |
The first grants, with their evidence, appear in the registry as they are made. Program names are the funding targets of the Standard's first version. Endorsement follows each signed agreement.