A Hidden Crisis: unravelling current failures for future success in rural groundwater supply

Hand-pumped borehole (HPB) supplies are the main type of rural water supply in Africa, but high rates of failure, and poor performance has been a persistent problem over recent decades. The first survey of the Hidden Crisis project assessed 600 HPBs in three African countries (Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda). The HPBs were selected using a two stage randomised stratified sampling approach and functionality was assessed using a new tiered definition. The results indicate that at any one time around 70 to 80% of HPBs provide some water, but only one third reliably provide sufficient water of good quality year-round. The reasons for these poor statistics are multifaceted, and relate not simply to poor construction or a changing climate, but are the result of a wide set of inter-related issues. Phase two of the project examined in detail a subset of 150 of the original 600 HPBs. The investigations included dismantling each HPB in order to conduct a rigorous assessments of the underlying causes of poor functionality. At each HPB detailed engineering inspections of pump components, pumping tests, water quality and residence time sampling and downhole CCTV inspections were conducted. Communities were asked detailed questions about their experience of the pump and sanitary and geological surveys were conducted. This presentation will provide an overview of the methods used in the field and analysis. The project aims to understand the underlying causual factors relating to borehole functionality, and both statistical approaches and systems thinking has been applied to investigate the relationship and influence of both the physical and social factors underlying poor borehole functionality