An analysis of hand pump boreholes functionality in Malawi

Abstract

A survey on the functionality of boreholes equipped with hand pumps was undertaken in five districts in Malawi in 2016. The survey aimed at developing a robust evidence-base of the performance of hand pump boreholes by applying a tiered assessment of functionality: (1) working at the time of survey (2) producing the design yield of the borehole; (3) working for >11 months per year and (4) delivering water quality requirements from the World Health Organisation (WHO). This information would guide sustainable future investments in water and sanitation projects. A stratified two-stage random sampling strategy was adopted. The results from the survey indicate that 74% of hand pump boreholes (HPBs) were working at the time of survey; 66% of HPBs passed the design yield of 10 liters per minute; 55% met the design yield and also experienced less than one month downtime within a year. Only 43% of HPBs met all the functionality requirements including World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for drinking water quality. The survey also assessed the village-level Water Management Arrangements at each water point. Results indicate that the majority of the Water Management Arrangements (86%) are functional or highly functional. The initial exploration of the data shows no simple relationship between the physical functionality and Water Management Arrangements.

Rural Water Point Functionality Estimates and Associations: Evidence From Nine Countries in Sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia

“…Additional peer‐reviewed and grey literature has documented functionality among hand pumps within a single country (Fink et al., 2022; Fisher et al., 2015; Foster, Shantz, et al., 2018; Foster, Willetts, et al., 2018; Mkandawire et al., 2020), hand pumps within three countries (Foster, 2013; MacAllister et al., 2022), piped water systems within one country (Daniel et al., 2023; Davis et al., 2008), various water system types within one country (Andres et al., 2018; Anthonj et al., 2018; Jiménez & Pérez‐Foguet, 2011; Joseph et al., 2019; MacAllister et al., 2020; The Water Trust, 2022), and various water system types within two countries (Cronk & Bartram, 2017) and three countries (Whittington et al., 2009). Additionally, DuChanois et al., 2019 documented water service continuity at the household level, considering various water system types within four countries.…”

True 2-D Resistivity Imaging from Vertical Electrical Soundings to Support More Sustainable Rural Water Supply Borehole Siting in Malawi

“…Improving access to groundwater is pivotal to rural water supply across the developing world [1][2][3] and a priority means of enabling governments to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 targets [4]. Low borehole functionality rates, however, greatly hinder this ambition [5][6][7]. Although maintenance shortfalls, amongst other factors, are commonly blamed [8,9], these can obscure poor hydrogeological siting and borehole design that may primarily drive persistent functionality problems [10,11].…”

“…In relation to achieving the UN's SDG Target 6.1 [4], technology application may assist the Government of Malawi's current ambition is to improve the rural drinking water service from a basic level of service, currently focused on hand-pumped boreholes albeit with functionality concerns [5][6][7], to a safely managed level. Plans for larger groundwater supply projects involving solar powered submersible pumps from multiple borehole "well fields" feeding reticulated piped networks will need to be supported by advanced geophysical subsurface imaging reconnaissance with tools such as that implemented that are viable in developing country settings.…”