The U2 is the most extensively used water lifting technology in Uganda, with hundreds of pumps installed annually. It is manually operated and can lift water from up to 50 metres. It is designed to serve up to 300 people. It uses a piston housed within a cylinder to displace a column of water upwards to the surface through a riser pipe.
Recommendations
- Much more needs to be done to understand the full lifecycle costs of service provision and ensure that gaps in financing for O&M are covered.
- Providers need to offer more choice to communities beyond simply installing U2s as a default option. Rainwater harvesting for example, may help to relieve pressure from high user numbers on existing U2 installations.
- Pump producers and providers need to do more market research to understand user concerns about U2 design flaws and material quality. These concerns should be acted upon.
- There should be greater sensitisation of politicians on national policies for management and financing of rural water supplies to ensure that they are aware that communities need to pay for water supply services. Communities should also be made aware of this through stronger sensitisation.
- Processes for regulating the quality of imported and nationally produced U2 components, especially galvanised pipes, should be strengthened.
- Lastly, there is need for providers (districts and NGOs) to ensure that they do not use pump components that impact negatively on water quality and pump sustainability, such as GI pipes and rods in situations where corrosion is possible.
[TAF] Technology Applicability Framework 