Preliminary Evaluation of Smart and Sustainable Water Distribution Systems in The Gambia

Abstract

An estimated one-third of handpumps in rural sub-Saharan Africa are non-functioning at any one time because of lack of upkeep. Citizens are left without access to clean drinking water and this has multiple knock-on developmental impacts. An innovative ‘e-Tap’ based water pre-payment technology and management system, in operation in The Gambia since April 2016, cycles revenue back into operation and maintenance and collects accurate and real-time data on consumption and tap failures. Preliminary research has begun on evaluating this innovation. Technical tests were conducted to examine the efficiency of the e-Tap under varying conditions. Water use trends were then analysed using the cloud-collected data transmitted from operational e-Taps. Further, a baseline survey to investigate social parameters was undertaken on 20 user households. This exploratory research shows the e-Taps to work efficiently in the lab and The Gambia with negligible failures, and to reduce distances users must travel for clean water and time they spend collecting.