We are working on developing a smart water well sensor for Afridev water wells. Our sensor measures water flow rates within an Afridev hand pump and transmits data to our center who can respond when something goes wrong. The main aim of the project is to ensure the clean water continues to flow around the world.
Why are we developing a special sensor project for Africa?
• 1.3 billion people in the world provide access to water by drilling method. 80% of them live in the countryside and prefer hand pumps due to their low cost. In Africa, it is known that 184 million people survived thanks to water wells. According to the figures in 2009, it was stated that there were 345 thousand water wells, 36% of them are defective.
• 1/3 of the wells are broken: Although these wells are durable and low cost, these wells deteriorate over time. People who cannot repair the well go to the surrounding wells even though there is water in the source.
• In a survey conducted in Kyuso, Kenya, the cost of repairs (19%), the time it takes to get repairs (17%), and the frequency of breakdowns (17%) are seen as the leading factors of dissatisfaction with hand pumps. In contrast, only 1% of users complain about the water usage fee (Oxford / RFL, 2014).
• The main purpose of the project is to inform the local center when the water is cut off and to quickly repair the well.
