RWSN Country Information

The 'Stop the Rot' initiative documents the scale and extent of rapid handpump corrosion and the use of poor-quality handpump components in sub-Saharan Africa and tries to bring about actions to address these problems. These two interlinked issues contribute to poor handpump performance, rapid handpump failure and poor water quality, all of which can ultimately lead to abandonment of the handpump sources, thus forcing users to return to contaminated or distant water supplies.

The first report estimates the reliance on handpumps in sub-Saharan Africa, reviews the literature on handpump functionality and performance, and synthesises information on handpump technical quality from various studies and assessments.

The second report examines handpump corrosion in detail, with an overview of what is known and what has been done to address the issue in specific SSA countries and by select organisations.

The third report reflects on the existing guidance on handpump quality assurance, collates examples of poor-quality components, and examines handpump supply chains through a case study of Zambia.

From 6 to 26 April 2020, RWSN and the Water Institute of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ran this e-discussion organised and moderated by Michael Fisher (UNC), Nikki Behnke (UNC), Sean Furey (RWSN) and Sandra Fürst (RWSN). The present document summarizes the contributions by 42 participants received during this e-discussion. Weekly summaries were prepared by Michael Fisher (UNC), Emma Kelly (UNC), and Abby McNaughton (UNC), and form the basis of this overall summary.

Handpump standardisation is the formal or informal mechanism that governs the varieties of community handpumps used within a particular country. In a handful of countries this also includes stand-ard handpump designs. With over a million handpumps in sub-Saharan Africa and new installations every day, handpump standardisation is still vital for the policy and practices of governments and implementing organisations. While rural water practitioners are polarised about the future of formal standardisation, the extent of informal standardisation is of significant importance to the sustain-ability of handpumps across the continent. Of the thirty-five countries in sub-Saharan using handpumps, formal standardisation has emerged in fifteen through regulations (nine countries), and endorsements (six countries). However in the remaining countries, informal standardisation determines what handpumps are installed where, either through recommendations (fourteen countries), or de facto standardisation (six countries).

The following form the considered conclusions of Rowan Matthews-Frederick after managing a program with Medair, North Sudan in West Darfur which was responsible for installation and maintenance of more than 170 India Mark II hand pumps. Further to this, work has continued in constructing, testing and computer modelling some solutions to hand pump issues with Nile Centre for Alternative Technology (NileCAT). There are many other ideas yet to be pursued that have potential to increase the reliability and ease of maintenance of the hand pumps.
Although the following observations tend to focus on the engineering related issues it is not intended to take away from the importance of the ‘softer’ issues. Please forgive the predominance of using the first person and the occasional ‘royal we’. This is not intended to be a thorough going engineering report. It is born of a diverse experience and desire to provide the basic necessities to the world’s most disadvantaged people.

The Government of Sudan has developed National and State Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Strategic Plans for 2012 to 2016. Under the plans it is envisaged that several thousands of boreholes will need to be drilled annually to meet the water supply targets. The Government with UNICEF support developed 10 Principles for Cost Effective Boreholes which were adopted by stakeholders at a workshop in Khartoum in 2009 as the framework for future borehole provision in the country.
This is the report of a study to evaluate the status of drilling and drilling practices within the framework of the 10 principles and from it develop a National Code of Practice for Borehole Construction and a National Drilling Strategy for Sudan. Information were collected from the public and private sectors and the NGOs in 8 states.

DISCLAIMER: This is a non-RWSN publication and endorsement by RWSN or any of its member organisations should not be inferred.