Hand Pump Repair

Where water wells have already been drilled, hand pump repair is the most cost-effective means to providing a community with clean, safe water.

Millions of people in the developing world rely on wells with simple hand pumps for their families’ daily drinking water supply. However, in many places these wells are in disrepair due to a damaged handle assembly, worn piston seal, broken pump rod, or corroded pipe. Many wells have been drilled without instilling a sense of ownership among the villagers and there is a lack of qualified people trained in hand pump maintenance and repair. There is also a shortage of tools and spare parts. In most countries, hand pump repair training programs are not readily available for nationals. As their pumps wear out over time, people must return to unsafe, traditional water sources, taking a step back toward disease and death.

Lifewater reverses this trend by training nationals to restore their wells to service. For problems that require specialized tools and training, Lifewater’s partners send technicians into the villages to repair pumps. Our national partners also train village water committees to perform routine maintenance that helps keep their hand pumps functioning. In this way, Lifewater's pump repair program provides the tools and know-how for nationals to rehabilitate and repair broken pumps, while involving the community in taking ownership of their water supply.

This program is implemented by Lifewater’s volunteer field trainers and staff for the purpose of building the capacity of our national partners. For information on US-based training opportunities in this program area, see our Stateside Training section.