A Framework for Managing the Functionality of Hand Pump Rural Water Supply Systems in Bumbaire Sub-county, Bushenyi District

Abstract

Water is a basic need and a human right. When communities access potable water, their livelihoods improve. Groundwater is the most commonly used source of water. Communities access water from this source through hand pumps, among others. The water is accessed when they are functional. Against this backdrop, the purpose of the study was to develop a framework for managing the functionality of hand pump rural water systems in Uganda. The study was contextualized on Bumbaire Sub County in Bushenyi District. The study set out to establish the causes of hand pump nonfunctionality, to design a framework for improving the maintenance of hand pumps; and to validate the designed framework and recommend it for deployment. Primary and secondary data were collected to answer objective 1 while Design Science Research was adopted to design and evaluate the framework to answer objectives 2 and 3. Water users, District Water Officials and Sub County Community Development Officer participated in the study. In total, 158 participants were involved. Questionnaires, FGD, Interviews, Experiments and Sanitary Inspection tool were used for primary data collection. Findings revealed that social, financial, technical and institutional factors were responsible for nonfunctionality of the hand pumps. A framework for closing the social, financial, technical and institutional management gaps was designed and evaluated. The evaluated framework was recommended for deployment. The study concluded that when the prescriptions of the evaluated framework are duly implemented, the maintenance of hand pumps will improve. Correspondingly, the magnitude of break-down and nonfunctionality will be minimized. The study recommends need for continuous awareness creation and active engagement of the water users, among others.