Avatars are engaged in selfless service (seva); that is why Avatars happen. Offering service to mankind pleases Avatars. ... I am active and busy twenty-four hours a day. ... I have never craved a minute's rest or sleep or relief.
--Sathya Sai Baba, in Sathya Sai Speaks X, Chap. 19, 123; VII, Chap. 59, 350; VI, Chap. 58, 288 (old edition)

This page will discuss Sathya Sai Baba's project, begun in 1994, which brought water to more than 700 villages in the the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (where Prashanthi Nilayam is located). This project was directed by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust and carried out by Larsen & Toubro Limited, with the collaboration of the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The project cost over U.S. $63 million, which was donated to the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust without any kind of solicitation.

For the moment, here are some statistics on the project.

Project highlights

No. of villages covered	750
Population covered	900,000
Design population	1,250,000
Project cost	US$63 million

Construction highlights

Main trunk lines	750 Km
Branch lines	1550 Km
Overhead service reservoirs (40,000-300,000 liter capacity)	268
Ground-level service reservoirs (20,000-60,000 liter capacity)	125
Ground-level balancing reservoirs (100,000-1,000,000 liter capacity)	21
Booster stations	40
Summer storage tanks (60 acres)	4
Summer storage tanks (32 acres)	3
Infiltration wells	13
Bore wells	250

Details of villages

Villages covered with borewells as source	274 villages
Villages covered by 14 comprehensive protected water supply schemes with infiltration wells and filter points	98 villages
Villages (including Anantapur municipality) covered by 7 summer storage tanks ranging from 30 to 100 acres	98 villages
Comprehensive scheme with water treatment plants using water from Pennar Ahobilam Balancing reservoir as source	115villages
Comprehensive scheme with infiltration well in the bed of Chitravathi Balancing Reservoir at Parnapalli as source	165 villages