More than 2 billion litres of safe drinking water have been dispensed through around 300 Water ATM booths across Dhaka, a public-private partnership between Dhaka WASA and Drinkwell, as the National Urban Forum 2026 concluded on Monday with the Local Government minister emphasising the importance of proper maintenance for the project’s sustainability.
Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan visited a Water ATM booth at the forum, drawing a glass of water using a prepaid card at Tk1 per litre- 1/25th the price of bottled water alternatives.
The minister observed that ensuring proper maintenance is the critical success factor for the project to sustain. The observation went to the heart of Drinkwell’s operating model, which is built on operating and maintaining infrastructure over its full life rather than building it and walking away, said a press release on Wednesday.
Each booth treats water on-site and dispenses it round the clock through a prepaid smart card. Every booth is staffed by a trained operator and monitored remotely through a control centre at Dhaka WASA Bhaban, ensuring filters are serviced and faults are fixed.
Drinkwell announced it is expanding the effort in partnership with Narayanganj City Corporation through the ADB-financed Narayanganj Green and Resilient Urban Development Project. The company also committed to planting trees at every Water ATM it operates across the country.
The forum, organised by the Local Government Division, UNDP Bangladesh and the UK Government, brought together around 150 policymakers, city corporation officials, municipal officials, development partners, academics and community representatives to advance implementation of the National Urban Policy 2025.
