Hygienic water supply system improve the quality of life for ethnic minority households in Tan Huong Commune, Yen Binh District, Yen Bai Province.

The self-draining water system, which began construction in September 2007 and completed in August 2008, has been providing water for 52 households in Khe Gay Village, Tan Huong Commune. The construction is more than 4 kilometers in length, builds a water container and a filter tank, installs more than 4,000 meters of pipes, 52 faucets for 52 households, equivalent to 300 people, using clean water for domestic use.

In the second phase of 2010, the project continued to support the construction of safe water drainage system for 44 households in Ngoi Vo village, with a length of over 3 kilometers, over 3,135 meters of plastic pipe, a container, a filter tank, and 44 water faucets. The water system was completed and put into operation in June 2010, supplying water to 44 households in Ngoi Vo. In particular, 26 households invested their own money to install pipe to take safe water from the project’s construction for their family to use, an increase of 59% compared to the project target. Two villages elected the water system management board to maintain and supply regularly water 24/24 hours for households.

Clean water source have significantly improved people's health such as reducing water-related illnesses for example the percentage of women aged 15 years to 49 years with gynecological disease decreased by 54%, the rate of people with trachoma and red eyes decreased by 100%, the rate of people with diarrhea decreased by 85% compared to before the project (report by communal center health station); more over, it help to reduce water collection time for spending more time with family care.

Up to now, this work is still managed effectively by the people. Therefore, it can be said that the self-flowing water supply model is a sustainable and economically efficient model and contributes to bettering the lives of mountainous ethnic minorities in Yen Bai Province.