Water for Dolma Ling

A generous donor has fully funded this project!

Clean drinking water is vital for the overall health of the nuns, but it has been a challenge to provide a reliable supply of clean, safe water.

Providing safe drinking water for the nuns and staff has always been a priority for the Tibetan Nuns Project.

Thanks to a generous donor, the final pieces of a major water project are being put in place that will have a major impact on the long-term water supply to Dolma Ling Nunnery, home to about 250 nuns plus staff.

Since Dolma Ling was built, the nunnery’s water supply has come from mountain streams, channelled down through farmers’ fields where it is also used for irrigation. This surface water is then filtered and purified with chlorine, and put into storage tanks at the top of the nunnery complex.

Unfortunately, the water from the streams has become more used and contaminated before it reaches the nunnery. Increasing population and development around Dolma Ling Nunnery means that the future water supply, without this new project, was very uncertain.

In the past, the nunnery applied for and installed several lines to the government water supply, but these functioned erratically and caused quite a lot of problems with the local villagers. These water lines were also high maintenance because they passed through farmland and were frequently damaged.

An Incredible Opportunity for Clean Water

In 2016 we had a great opportunity. Dharamsala was selected to be a “Smart City”, a government program that aims to provide better infrastructure such as water supply and sewage systems. This opened up some options for the nunnery to work with the local administration on water issues. Through this partnership, the nuns were able to get the government to bore a well to tap into the groundwater for the nunnery to use free of charge.

The well is situated in the lowest section of the nunnery at the front of the complex since this was the spot which was divined to have groundwater and was accessible to the drilling truck. The well will provide a good potable source of water which can be used without treatment.

With the new water lines and pump provided by one generous donor, this water will now be accessible to the nuns. The new lines and pump allow the nuns to pump the well water up to the top of the nunnery into the main storage tanks so that it can then feed to all the buildings through the already existing gravity lines.

To help with one of our other Current Projects you can:

  1. Make a gift online – see below.
  2. Call our office in Seattle, US at 1-206-652-8901
  3. Mail a check to: The Tibetan Nuns Project, 815 Seattle Boulevard South #216, Seattle, WA 98134 USA

Make a Donation

You may download a PDF description of the Water for Dolma Ling project here.

View a short video of a Day in the Life at Dolma Ling Nunnery

We are always looking for more sponsors for nuns at Dolma Ling. To learn more about our sponsorship program click here.