Equal Access Colombia is expanding access to safe drinking water for rural households, small schools and vulnerable communities across the country. Supported by the Zayed Sustainability Prize and delivered in partnership with Smart Hydro and a network of local organisations, the project focuses on practical, household and community-level filtration solutions in areas where water infrastructure is limited, unreliable or entirely absent.
Access to safe water remains a significant challenge in rural Colombia. While urban coverage has improved, only a small proportion of rural municipalities are able to provide safe water services. Many families rely on untreated rivers, shallow wells and rainwater harvesting, often storing water in unsafe conditions. Equal Access Colombia addresses this gap by providing point-of-use filtration systems, ensuring families and schools can access clean, safe drinking water every day.
In the current rollout phase, 1,600 Platypus household filtration units are being implemented, alongside 320 Squirt units and 20 Squirt MS systems. Together, these installations are projected to benefit approximately 24,400 people across multiple high-need territories.
Platypus household units are being installed in individual rural homes, internally displaced households, informal settlements and border communities affected by migration. These compact systems provide a reliable source of safe drinking water at household level, reducing reliance on untreated surface and groundwater sources and lowering the risk of waterborne disease.
Squirt and Squirt MS systems are being deployed to small rural schools, community facilities and shelters supporting displaced and migrant families. These lightweight, durable units provide practical, scalable solutions in locations where centralised infrastructure is not feasible.
Cúcuta / Norte de Santander
Date installed: 2025–2026 (staged rollout)
Units: Platypus filters and Squirt systems
Population served: Displaced families, migrant communities and shelter residents
Installations in Cúcuta and surrounding rural areas support communities along the Colombia–Venezuela border, where high levels of migration and internal displacement have placed pressure on already limited water infrastructure. Housing filters and shelter-based systems provide safe drinking water in communities relying on rivers, rainwater and other surface sources.
La Guajira
Date installed: 2025–2026
Units: Platypus filters
Population served: Wayuu Indigenous households and rural settlements
In La Guajira, installations are supporting isolated Wayuu communities facing persistent water access challenges. Household filtration units and community water points provide safer alternatives to untreated wells and river sources, strengthening health outcomes in remote environments.
Urabá
Date installed: 2025–2026
Units: Platypus filters and Squirt systems
Population served: Migrant families and informal settlements
The Urabá region, impacted by migration flows through the Darién Gap, includes informal settlements with limited public services. Installations support shelters and households where safe drinking water was previously inconsistent or unavailable.
Putumayo
Date installed: 2025–2026
Units: Platypus filters
Population served: Isolated rural households
In southern border communities near Ecuador, Platypus units are being installed in dispersed rural homes where access to public infrastructure is severely limited. Families relying on wells, rainwater and rivers now have a dependable household-level safe water solution.
Cundinamarca
Date installed: 2025–2026
Units: Platypus filters and Squirt systems
Population served: Rural households and small schools
In rural municipalities northeast of Bogotá, installations are supporting small schools and surrounding households. These systems ensure consistent access to safe drinking water in communities where natural water sources exist but treatment infrastructure is inadequate.
Collective Impact
Across all territories, Equal Access Colombia demonstrates the complementary role of household Platypus units and small-community Squirt systems. Platypus filters provide immediate, family-level solutions in remote and displaced settings, while Squirt systems support schools, shelters and community facilities.
Together, these installations are delivering clean, safe drinking water to an estimated 24,400 people, strengthening health, dignity and resilience across rural, border and migration-affected communities.
