At the global level, there is a push to bring water supply services close to the home via piped supplies. This is particularly to reduce the burden of carrying water over long distances. Nevertheless, political, financial and environmental realities mean that handpumps will continue to significantly contribute to rural water supplies for many remote and/or low income communities.

RWSN remains the global knowledge hub for handpumps evolving from the Handpump Technology Network (HTN). Up until the late 2000s much effort was placed on agreeing public domain standards for common pumps, such as the India Mark II, Afridev and Tara, and encouraging national governments to adopt handpump standardisation policies to improve viability of supply chains and repair skills. Today, issues of financial and environmental sustainability of handpumps as well as the suitability and quality of handpump materials with respect to corrosion are pertinent.

Worldwide, solar pumps are rapidly being installed by humanitarian and development agencies, for-profit industries, and private households. However, up-to-date guidelines and tools are lacking. The uptake rate of solar pumping installations escalates a number of impending issues, with implications for:

• planning, implementation, operation and maintenance, monitoring, and regulation of rural water supplies
• sustainability of groundwater resources in light of increased abstraction
• appropriateness and feasibility of upgrading from handpumps to solar pumps

The interrelated issues between handpumps, and solar pumps will be tackled in RWSN’s groundwater abstraction topic.

What is the Groundwater Abstraction topic is trying to achieve

Outcomes by 2023: National policies, strategies and plans for rural water supply include solar pumping and incorporate technical guidelines promoted by RWSN. Rural water supply professionals have a sound understanding of the opportunities and constraints of handpump and solar pumping technologies. alongside other water lifting technologies.

Aims by 2030:

• National standardisation policies and practices ensure that corrosive handpump components are not installed.
• Rural water supply professionals consider national standardisation policies and practices for handpumps when selecting technologies.
• Solar pumping contributes significantly to the goal of universal water access, with management and regulatory systems in place to ensure sustainability of finance and the water resources.

More information

• Solar pumps
• Handpump technology
• Publications on Supply chains and Mechanic associations