Tam Xuan 2 Commune is an agricultural commune of Nui Thanh District, located 90 km south of Danang City. The majority of the residents in this Commune subsist on farming, along with raising livestock and running small businesses. The average monthly per capita income is $20 and the poverty rate (defined as average monthly per capita income of $12 or less) is 24%.
There are 2,936 households (12,200 people) in the commune, of which the six hamlets have 3,200 people living in 800 households. The residents in these hamlets are severely affected by the natural disasters every year.
Most of the households in the six hamlets have dug wells and some have drilled wells which supply water that is adequate for washing but too saline for consumption due to the vicinity of the sea. Well water in the area also has high levels of sediments. Furthermore, the wells commonly dry out during dry seasons. Water for drinking and cooking has to be manually transported from 2 km away or, for those who can afford it, fresh drinking water is available for purchase from local grocery stores or markets for about $US1.10 per 20 liters. Although some households have installed makeshift manual stone and sand filters to treat well water, poorer residents are limited to using the polluted well water for their daily activities.
Few families in Tam Xuan 2 Commune have improved sanitary latrines, and hand washing with soap is not regularly done as often as it should be. There is a critical need for access to clean water for the residents in this area because water-borne diseases are a problem for the residents, many of whom suffer from related skin, trachoma, diarrhea, gynecology, and digestive illnesses.