Smart Hand Pumps for Groundwater Monitoring and Management
Summary
For many households, hand pumps are an important access point to groundwater via boreholes. However, the limited capacity for groundwater monitoring and the inability to repair broken or fault pumps hinders effective decision-making and management of water resources. Smart handpumps, created by a research team at the University of Oxford, are touted as an effective monitoring tool in low-resource settings through mobile phone technology.
The smart pump involves attaching a Waterpoint Data Transmitter to the existing pump handle, transmitting data on pump usage and approximate water abstraction via SMS to a central database. The implementation of smart pumps has improved water level tracking in the community where it has been tested and allowed the local community water group to take on a regulatory role and reduced pump downtime due to repairs from 27 days to 3. By ensuring the receiving community is involved in all design and implementation stages, there is a greater likelihood of local acceptance.
Boreholes serve as important access to potable water in areas that do not have piped water connections, and the supply does not meet the demand. Hand pumps are a preferred technology to extract groundwater; however, up to one-third of hand pumps do not function at any one time across Africa. The limited or nonexistent monitoring systems hinder real-time data collection on groundwater trends and pump operations (i.e., maintenance programs) (Thomson et al., 2012; UNICEF, n.d.).
Intervention
Smart handpumps began as a research project at the University of Oxford to improve the sustainability of water supplies while filling an information gap (UO, n.d.). The smart pump is also referred to as a Waterpoint Data Transmitter (WDT), and provides reliable, real-time data on handpump usage and, as a result, groundwater abstraction (Thomson et al., 2012). The smart hand pump was implemented in the Valley View community in northwest Lusaka to approximate groundwater volume use (Thomson et al., 2012). Three WDTs were attached to three different pumps in the community, which serve as the main, but not exclusive, the water source for the community (Thomson et al., 2012).
The WDT is a robust, low-cost, and scalable technology that attaches to the handle of a hand pump and consists of three essential elements: a low-cost integrated-circuit (IC)-based accelerometer, a microprocessor, and a global system for mobile communications (GSM) transmitter (Thomson et al., 2012; OxWater, 2015). The accelerometer measures the motion of the handle and can be easily retrofitted to existing in-service pumps (OxWater, 2015). The microprocessor takes the acceleration data from the accelerometer. It calculates a pump handle tilt angle, which is then monitored to produce a count on the number of times the pump handle moves over a given period, generating an estimate on the volume of water abstracted (Thomson et al., 2012; OxWater, 2015). The transmitter then sends out a regular SMS containing data on pump handle movement to be stored in a central database (OxWater, 2015). The data shows pump use and estimates demand levels (ranging from daily to seasonal, including critical under- or over-usage information). Additionally, it estimates groundwater levels and can be used to inform repairs or justify further investments (Thomson et al., 2012).
The Community Water Committee manages the pumps, and charges around USD 0.02 per 20L container, paid to the pump attendant (Thomson et al., 2012). The community was welcoming to researchers and was happy to assist in implementing smart pumps (Thomson et al., 2012). Researchers played an important role in conceptualizing, monitoring, and evaluating the smart pump in the community, though there were opportunities for collaboration with the Community Water Committee (Thomson et al., 2012). With the increased data availability of withdrawals and pump operations, the Committee can take on a regulatory role to respond to the community's water needs better. This intervention aligns with the global shift towards community participation in the water supply as part of a wider demand-responsive approach (Thomson et al., 2012). There continue to be increasing calls globally to develop a contextually-sensitive approach to groundwater water monitoring and evaluation (UNICEF, n.d.).
Initial funding for the smart pump research and proof of concept was provided in 2010 by the UK Department of International Development (DFID) under the New and Emerging Technologies (NET) program (OxWater, 2015; Dahmm, 2020). Funding has also come from the University of Oxford's John Fell Fund, the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators, and additional research grants (OxWater, 2015; Dahmm, 2020). Collaborators have included UNICEF and private partners, such as Rural Focus, an engineering and development consulting group (Dahmm, 2020).
Challenges
There are three main challenges in the application of smart hand pumps. First, it is essential to ensure user acceptability, as there is a risk of vandalism and theft if the smart pump is placed in a less accommodating environment (Thomson et al., 2012). As a best practice, the community should be consulted in the design and implementation stages to ensure the implementation considers the context. Second, the power consumption and mobile network usage should be considered in the design stage (Thomson et al., 2012). Using alternative energies (solar, wind, kinetic energy from pump handles, etc.) could be explored further. Finally, the reliance on mobile networks to transmit data renders the project vulnerable to service outages, particularly in areas with limited network coverage (Dahmm, 2020).
Outcomes
The implementation of smart pumps has improved monitoring and tracking of water abstraction and groundwater levels in the community. Due to the grassroots nature of the case study, quantifiable results are not readily available. However, preliminary data reports have shown that variations in water volume produced should be weighted to represent a range of users. For example, prolonged use of the pump by one group (e.g., men) would result in variations in withdrawal estimates (Thomson et al., 2012). The ability to present performance-based outcomes has attracted social investors. Since the initial launch in 2011, several projects have implemented similar technologies, ranging from UNICEF and DFID to the Global Challenges Research Fund.
Due to the relatively low-cost technology attached to existing pumps, the smart hand pump is scalable and has since been adopted across predominantly rural communities in Kenya and Bangladesh, and both Zimbabwe and Ethiopia have expressed interest in smart pumps (Dahmm, 2020). Smart handpumps started as a research project at the University of Oxford to improve the sustainability of existing water supplies. Many hand pumps were frequently left broken due to limited knowledge of repairs needed. Converting existing hand pumps into smart pumps, using innovations based on mobile phone technology, is a scalable solution. Monitoring and tracking groundwater levels over time in low-resource settings enables better regulatory oversight of the entire water supply system
References
Smart Hand Pumps for Groundwater Monitoring and Management
Summary
For many households, hand pumps are an important access point to groundwater via boreholes. However, the limited capacity for groundwater monitoring and the inability to repair broken or fault pumps hinders effective decision-making and management of water resources. Smart handpumps, created by a research team at the University of Oxford, are touted as an effective monitoring tool in low-resource settings through mobile phone technology.
The smart pump involves attaching a Waterpoint Data Transmitter to the existing pump handle, transmitting data on pump usage and approximate water abstraction via SMS to a central database. The implementation of smart pumps has improved water level tracking in the community where it has been tested and allowed the local community water group to take on a regulatory role and reduced pump downtime due to repairs from 27 days to 3. By ensuring the receiving community is involved in all design and implementation stages, there is a greater likelihood of local acceptance.
Boreholes serve as important access to potable water in areas that do not have piped water connections, and the supply does not meet the demand. Hand pumps are a preferred technology to extract groundwater; however, up to one-third of hand pumps do not function at any one time across Africa. The limited or nonexistent monitoring systems hinder real-time data collection on groundwater trends and pump operations (i.e., maintenance programs) (Thomson et al., 2012; UNICEF, n.d.).
Issue
Intervention
Smart handpumps began as a research project at the University of Oxford to improve the sustainability of water supplies while filling an information gap (UO, n.d.). The smart pump is also referred to as a Waterpoint Data Transmitter (WDT), and provides reliable, real-time data on handpump usage and, as a result, groundwater abstraction (Thomson et al., 2012). The smart hand pump was implemented in the Valley View community in northwest Lusaka to approximate groundwater volume use (Thomson et al., 2012). Three WDTs were attached to three different pumps in the community, which serve as the main, but not exclusive, the water source for the community (Thomson et al., 2012).
The WDT is a robust, low-cost, and scalable technology that attaches to the handle of a hand pump and consists of three essential elements: a low-cost integrated-circuit (IC)-based accelerometer, a microprocessor, and a global system for mobile communications (GSM) transmitter (Thomson et al., 2012; OxWater, 2015). The accelerometer measures the motion of the handle and can be easily retrofitted to existing in-service pumps (OxWater, 2015). The microprocessor takes the acceleration data from the accelerometer. It calculates a pump handle tilt angle, which is then monitored to produce a count on the number of times the pump handle moves over a given period, generating an estimate on the volume of water abstracted (Thomson et al., 2012; OxWater, 2015). The transmitter then sends out a regular SMS containing data on pump handle movement to be stored in a central database (OxWater, 2015). The data shows pump use and estimates demand levels (ranging from daily to seasonal, including critical under- or over-usage information). Additionally, it estimates groundwater levels and can be used to inform repairs or justify further investments (Thomson et al., 2012).
The Community Water Committee manages the pumps, and charges around USD 0.02 per 20L container, paid to the pump attendant (Thomson et al., 2012). The community was welcoming to researchers and was happy to assist in implementing smart pumps (Thomson et al., 2012). Researchers played an important role in conceptualizing, monitoring, and evaluating the smart pump in the community, though there were opportunities for collaboration with the Community Water Committee (Thomson et al., 2012). With the increased data availability of withdrawals and pump operations, the Committee can take on a regulatory role to respond to the community's water needs better. This intervention aligns with the global shift towards community participation in the water supply as part of a wider demand-responsive approach (Thomson et al., 2012). There continue to be increasing calls globally to develop a contextually-sensitive approach to groundwater water monitoring and evaluation (UNICEF, n.d.).
Initial funding for the smart pump research and proof of concept was provided in 2010 by the UK Department of International Development (DFID) under the New and Emerging Technologies (NET) program (OxWater, 2015; Dahmm, 2020). Funding has also come from the University of Oxford's John Fell Fund, the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators, and additional research grants (OxWater, 2015; Dahmm, 2020). Collaborators have included UNICEF and private partners, such as Rural Focus, an engineering and development consulting group (Dahmm, 2020).
Challenges
There are three main challenges in the application of smart hand pumps. First, it is essential to ensure user acceptability, as there is a risk of vandalism and theft if the smart pump is placed in a less accommodating environment (Thomson et al., 2012). As a best practice, the community should be consulted in the design and implementation stages to ensure the implementation considers the context. Second, the power consumption and mobile network usage should be considered in the design stage (Thomson et al., 2012). Using alternative energies (solar, wind, kinetic energy from pump handles, etc.) could be explored further. Finally, the reliance on mobile networks to transmit data renders the project vulnerable to service outages, particularly in areas with limited network coverage (Dahmm, 2020).
Outcomes
The implementation of smart pumps has improved monitoring and tracking of water abstraction and groundwater levels in the community. Due to the grassroots nature of the case study, quantifiable results are not readily available. However, preliminary data reports have shown that variations in water volume produced should be weighted to represent a range of users. For example, prolonged use of the pump by one group (e.g., men) would result in variations in withdrawal estimates (Thomson et al., 2012). The ability to present performance-based outcomes has attracted social investors. Since the initial launch in 2011, several projects have implemented similar technologies, ranging from UNICEF and DFID to the Global Challenges Research Fund.
Due to the relatively low-cost technology attached to existing pumps, the smart hand pump is scalable and has since been adopted across predominantly rural communities in Kenya and Bangladesh, and both Zimbabwe and Ethiopia have expressed interest in smart pumps (Dahmm, 2020). Smart handpumps started as a research project at the University of Oxford to improve the sustainability of existing water supplies. Many hand pumps were frequently left broken due to limited knowledge of repairs needed. Converting existing hand pumps into smart pumps, using innovations based on mobile phone technology, is a scalable solution. Monitoring and tracking groundwater levels over time in low-resource settings enables better regulatory oversight of the entire water supply system
Issues |
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Water Infrastructure and Technology |
Solutions |
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Water Data, Monitoring & ICT Solutions |
References
Dahmm, H. (2020, May 18). Handpump data improves water access. TReNDS. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.sdsntrends.org/research/2018/11/27/case-study-smart-handpump-project?locale=en#description
Smart handpumps. University of Oxford (UO). (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2022, from https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/research-impact/smart-handpumps
Smart Pumps. UNICEF. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2022, from https://www.unicef.org/innovation/smart-pumps
Thomson, P., Hope, R., & Foster, T. (2012). GSM-enabled remote monitoring of rural handpumps: A proof-of-concept study. Journal of Hydroinformatics, 14(4), 829–839. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2012.183
University of Oxford. (2015). What is a smart handpump? OxWater. Retrieved February 28, 2022, from http://www.oxwater.uk/oxford-smart-handpump.html
University of Oxford. (n.d.). John Fell Fund. Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division (MPLSD). Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://www.mpls.ox.ac.uk/research-funding/internal-research-funding/jff#:~:text=The%20John%20Fell%20Fund%20(JFF,applications%20to%20external%20funding%20bodies.
The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators. The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators (Water Conservators(. (2022, February 27). Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://www.waterconservators.org/