Sustainability of hand-dug wells in Tanzania: results from a post-evaluation

A recent post-evaluation conducted in the Kagera region, Tanzania assessed the sustainability of 17 representative water points up to 9 years post-installation by Concern Worldwide. This found that nearly all the hand dug wells were still functioning which validated the pump technology chosen for the programme. However, it also highlighted the importance of considering a service delivery approach as 3 water supplies, although still functioning, were not used by the population due to concerns about water taste and colour. The importance of ownership was also suggested by the fact that despite the failure of the cost-recovery scheme put in place, WASH committees seemed to be able to collect enough money reactively for any required maintenance. For longer term sustainability, more work is required to strengthen both the spare part supply chain as well the local back stopping agencies.