Good article. Some additional info about the above mentioned “BlueZone” approach for low-cost, regional Public Water Supply. The basic idea is that Community handpumps (for 100 to 1.000 people) are installed and maintained by a regional operating organization, using the reliable Dutch BluePump.
Data from over 1.000 BluePumps in 10 countries in Africa since 9 years shows that the BluePump (properly installed in a normal borehole gives 3 years 100% warranty) hardly needs any spare parts and will function at least 3 to 6 years without any problem, also in deep boreholes up to 100m deep water levels.
This results in extreme high users satisfaction, while families pay on average 5 US$ per year for maintenance. In a BlueZone it is recommended that the handpump is NOT owned by the community anymore, but can be leased for about 100 to 200 US$ per year from the Regional Service Provider, which ideally should be the District Water Department, that visits 1 time per year the BluePump to collect the rent and to check on the functionality and collects data for monitoring as well.
The BlueZone approach represents, therefore, a long-term vision how to arrive at low-cost, reliable 24/7 water supply for communities in Africa. Although initially, the CAPEX investment for a BlueZone is higher compared with putting cheap VLOM pumps all over without a regional dealer support, the extream low maintenance cost compensates this investment within 5 years. This is one of the reasons that Oxfam (based on their long-term experience with the BluePump in North Kenya) recommends the use of BluePumps for Community water supply.
The BlueZone approach is more and more considered by international experts and governments as the most promising, up-scalable sustainable model for Rural Community Water Supply. Also because it fits into the trend of decentralization in Africa. Inside a BlueZone, NGOs can be active and help individual families to have their own family well with an EMAS pump from a shallow well, while the official Government Registered SDG Water Point will always be a safe secure water point, that also provides water for the poor of the poor, that cannot afford their own well with a simple pump.
Architects as far back as Vitruvius in the first century BC have tried to condense the best practices of their craft into only a handful of points. In...
Good article. Some additional info about the above mentioned “BlueZone” approach for low-cost, regional Public Water Supply. The basic idea is that Community handpumps (for 100 to 1.000 people) are installed and maintained by a regional operating organization, using the reliable Dutch BluePump.
Data from over 1.000 BluePumps in 10 countries in Africa since 9 years shows that the BluePump (properly installed in a normal borehole gives 3 years 100% warranty) hardly needs any spare parts and will function at least 3 to 6 years without any problem, also in deep boreholes up to 100m deep water levels.
This results in extreme high users satisfaction, while families pay on average 5 US$ per year for maintenance. In a BlueZone it is recommended that the handpump is NOT owned by the community anymore, but can be leased for about 100 to 200 US$ per year from the Regional Service Provider, which ideally should be the District Water Department, that visits 1 time per year the BluePump to collect the rent and to check on the functionality and collects data for monitoring as well.
The BlueZone approach represents, therefore, a long-term vision how to arrive at low-cost, reliable 24/7 water supply for communities in Africa. Although initially, the CAPEX investment for a BlueZone is higher compared with putting cheap VLOM pumps all over without a regional dealer support, the extream low maintenance cost compensates this investment within 5 years. This is one of the reasons that Oxfam (based on their long-term experience with the BluePump in North Kenya) recommends the use of BluePumps for Community water supply.
The BlueZone approach is more and more considered by international experts and governments as the most promising, up-scalable sustainable model for Rural Community Water Supply. Also because it fits into the trend of decentralization in Africa. Inside a BlueZone, NGOs can be active and help individual families to have their own family well with an EMAS pump from a shallow well, while the official Government Registered SDG Water Point will always be a safe secure water point, that also provides water for the poor of the poor, that cannot afford their own well with a simple pump.
More information on http://www.bluepump.com