Researchers from UK’s University of Oxford will early next month unveil Waterpoint Data Transmitter services in Kenya.
The project will be entirely on a trial basis, the researchers say.
The device is inserted into hand pumps to check the pump stroke. It later sends SMS-based information to water engineers each time the water pump is dry. The data can afterwards be used to determine water used by the people.
According to senior researcher Rob Hope, Africa has water problems and approximately, a third of the hand pumps are faulty, while almost 1.5 million of children’s deaths is caused by water-related diseases.
“The hand pumps failure in Africa inspired us to come up with this project as a result of wear and tear and mechanical that affects people’s health and economic failure, approximately 276 million Africans have poor water services,” he said.
The water engineers will use the information to identify areas with water shortages as well as make follow ups.
Plans are underway to reach out to African countries including South Sudan and Malawi.
Kenya’s semi arid areas experience water shortages and outbreak of waterborne diseases. The widely affected areas include Laisamis and Moyale district.
Other areas include Nyanza Province’s Kisumu and parts of Eastern Province.
According to Water.org estimates, 60 percent of Kisumu residents are peri-urban settlements while only 40 percent access piped water, others depend on contaminated water from wells.
The UK Department for International Development (DFID) supports the project. In 2011, a similar trial basis in Zambia was initiated.
