Ensuring the quality of boreholes and pumps for rural water supplies
In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 200 million people (about one in five of the population) rely on a handpump as their main source of drinking water, using about 700,000 handpumps. While the popularity of other technologies is growing, handpumps are likely to remain important in the region for decades to come, particularly in areas that are remote or with low population density. Unfortunately, many handpump services perform poorly or fail prematurely due to technical or installation defects with the borehole or the pump, as well as weaknesses with operation and maintenance or financial constraints.
But many handpump sources are failing prematurely – most likely due to a technical, or installation problem with the borehole or pump. Rapid handpump corrosion is one cause of premature failure, as are faulty components, or low-quality boreholes. A broken, or failed handpump or borehole means that people have to revert to distant, or contaminated sources of drinking water.
Stop the Rot is an RWSN initiative which strives to raise the quality of handpumps for rural water supplies and mitigate rapid handpump corrosion. Since commencing in late October 2020, the initiative has brought stakeholders together with an interest in taking action to address these issues. The Stop the Rot Action Group meets 3 to 4 times per year (online).
This webpage consolidates the fliers, reports and event recordings of Stop the Rot as well as related research publications to date. If you have specific questions, would like to find out more about the action group, or contribute to Stop the Rot, please contact
World Bank Water Knowledge Note
The Preventing Rapid Corrosion of Handpumps Through Regulations knowledge note is available here.
Webinars
Experiences and challenges of preventing rapid corrosion of rural water supply infrastructure, 30 April 2024 (recording, slides: English, Français)
The quality challenge - ensuring a high standard of rural water infrastructure from the outset, 25 June 2024 (recording, slides: English, Français)
Stop the Rot - Handpump Upgrade…to Be, or Not to Be?, 6 June 2023 (recording)
Stop the Rot - Taking action to prevent the use of poor quality handpumps, 26 April 2022 (recording)
Fliers
Reports
2022 – Stop the Rot Trilogy
Stop the Rot Report I: Handpump reliance, functionality and technical failure by Danert, K
Stop the Rot Report II: Rapid corrosion of handpumps by Danert, K.
Stop the Rot: Report III: Handpump standards, quality and supply chains with Zambia case study by Danert, K
All three trilogy reports are also available together in French and English
Country case studies
Documentation of Experiences and Lessons Learnt in the prevention of Rapid Handpump Corrosion in Uganda, by Danert, K., Bisoborwa, P. Kyeyune, E., Mutiibwa, R. and Nakayima, L.
Stop the Rot: Learning from handpump rehabilitation – A short case study from Zambia by Danert, K. and Smulders, J. (2022)
Stop the Rot: Overview of handpump corrosion and maintenance challenges for a sustainable drinking water supply for rural populations in Cameroon by Linjouom Nchoutpouen A. A. (2023)
History of the Rapid Handpump Corrosion Problem in Zambia and Potential Next Steps by Nkhosi. J and Danert, K. (2023)
Stop the Rot: Documentation of Experiences and Lessons Learnt in the prevention of Rapid Handpump Corrosion in Uganda by Paul Bisoborwa, Erisa Kyeyune, Robert Mutiibwa and Loretta Nakayima (in press)
Country Action
2023 - Stop the Rot @ ZAWAFE 2023, Lusaka, Zambia: Report of Focussed Session
Blogs
2024
- Borehole Drilling Supervision Capacity in Zimbabwe by Joseph T Njanike
- Stop the Rot: Uganda
2023
- Addressing rapid handpump corrosion: the story of the Ghana Modified India Mark II – by Claus Riexinger
- History of the Rapid Hand pump Corrosion Problems in Zambia and Potential Next Steps by Javan Nkhosi
- When stainless steel is not stainless steel by Frank Meins
- The journey towards reducing the effects of rapid corrosion in Kalumbila District, Zambia by Daniel Shimanza
- The role of galvanized pipes in the corrosion and failure of hand pumps by Annie Kalusa
- Obituary: Dr. Otto Langenegger – Kloss (22 April 1938 — 19 February 2023) by Kerstin Danert
2022
- Stop the rot: evidence and action for handpump quality
- Stop the Rot III: Handpump standards, quality and supply chains with Zambia case study
- Stop the Rot Report II: Rapid corrosion of handpumps
- Stop the Rot Report I: Handpump reliance, functionality and technical failure
- Stop the Rot – Stakeholder perspectives on handpump corrosion and quality – Part 1
- Stop the Rot – Stakeholder perspectives on handpump corrosion and quality – Part 2
Videos and Recordings
- Presentation for RWSN Webinar - "Stop the Rot" - Taking action to prevent the use of poor quality handpumps by Kerstin Danert (2022)
- RWSN Webinar recording - “Stop the Rot” Taking action to prevent the use of poor quality handpumps (2022)
- Presentation for UN-Groundwater Summit in Paris - ‘Stop the Rot: Taking Action to Ensure Borehole and Handpump Quality by Steve Kumwenda (2022)
- Stop the rot - Handpump Upgrade…to Be, or Not to Be? led by Design Outreach (2023). Slides also available
Related published research
- Contribution of physical factors to handpump borehole functionality in Africa
by Donald John MacAllister et al (2022)