Energy in rural Dominican Republic is often a limited and expensive commodity. Grid electricity, propane gas, and firewood are among the common energy sources in rural areas, however with limited accessibility and increasingly high cost. Heating water for personal bathing and showering is a low priority and unaffordable for most rural Dominicans. Consequently, people take showers infrequently, personal hygiene is compromised, and risk of illnesses, especially pneumonia, is increased. This work aims to develop a low-cost but effective solar thermal powered water heater with simple construction, low maintenance, and using locally available materials. Two different designs are evaluated, including batch and thermosiphon models. Several system parameters, such as insulation, greenhouse effect, reflective surface, mechanical stirring, and available surface area for heat absorption are varied, and system performance is characterized based on water temperature maximum and stability. The thermosiphon model is found to be most optimal, considering its performance, cost, ease of maintenance, manufacturability, and adaptability. The selected design is then implemented at several community and residential locations in El Cercado, Dominican Republic with performance results meeting and exceeding temperature rise target of at least 12 degrees C. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.