RP-01638

movement, which has several workshops in
the area. These pumps were installed in handdug,
4.9-foot (1.5-m) diameter wells. The
wells were lined with a concrete casing and
covered with a removable concrete cover;
thus, if the pump breaks down, the villagers
can continue to obtain water with a bucket.
Two factors appear to influence the installation
of the pumps in this manner. First,
because the pumps are still experimental and
may fail, this type of well offers some
assurance of a constant water supply. Second,
because villagers are not familiar with the
method of drilling bore-hole wells, there was
no local expertise available for trying this
method of installation.
The construction of open wells increases
the installation cost and places a limit on the
depth that can be obtained. The average depth
of 100 wells examined was about 16-23 feet
(5-7 m) and the static water level was 10-16
feet (3-5 m) below the surface.
The Sarvodaya movement plans to install
an additional 250 handpumps in various
villages. The cost of installation will probably
be borne by foreign-based aid agencies.
Economic analysis
Financial and technical information regarding
the three handpump models are shown in
Table 1. These pumps differ in their aboveground
components, although the belowground
components are essentially the same.
Installation charges are nearly 300% of the
cost of the pump, whereas yearly maintenance
charges are about 23% of the total pump cost.
Water supply situation
Of the 12.7 million people in Sri Lanka in
1980, 73% lived in rural areas. There were
1420 000 rural households, each containing
an average of seven persons, and only 2% of
the rural population was currently served by
treated piped water.
The use of handpumps is a relatively new
phenomenon, only about 2500 have been
installed in Sri Lanka. Of these, only about
1500 (60%) are still functioning. If it is
assumed that one handpump serves about 50
families, then only 75 000 families or about
5% of the rural population is currently being
served.
The United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) is currently involved in a program
to install a sizeable number of deep-well
handpumps in the northern half of the island.
Table 1. Information on three handpump models
tested in Sri Lanka.'
Model
Item Vi L1 L3
Installation ($) 283 269 241
Pump ($) 60 100 120
Yearly maintenance ($) 17 25 21
Expected life (years) 7 9 9
Persons served/pump 20 40 25
Avg water use/
person/day (L) 25 66 35
Water pumping rate (Llminute) 8 8 8
Note: Installation cost estimated for an average depth of
5 m (16.4 feet). Expected life is based on the project leader's
estimates.
'1 L = 0.22 gallon.
To date, 600 holes have been dug and 300
pumps installed. These wells, which average
more than 49 feet (15 m) deep, are situated
about 0.5 mile (800 m) apart and each one
serves about 50 households. The most
common pump is the India Mark II, which
costs approximately $400 per pump (excluding
tax). UNICEF plans to have a two-tier
program for the maintenance of these pumps:
a village pump mechanic to attend to minor
repairs and a regional pump inspector
responsible for major repairs. The truckmounted
drilling rig required for this program
was imported from Europe at a cost of
about $250 000. A rig can drill up to about
80 holes per year at an estimated cost of
$1000-1500 per well.
Potential markets
The potential market for handpumps in Sri
Lanka is sizeable. The only limitation appears
to be that 75% of the country is relatively dry;
however, 70% of the population is concentrated
in the wet zone. If 50% of the rural
population were served by handpumps, the
estimated number of additional handpumps
required in Sri Lanka would be approximately
14000, 15000, and 17 000 in 1982, 1985, and
1990, respectively. These estimates are
derived from the assumptions that the rural
population is growing at an annual rate of
2.5% and that the number of families served
per pump remains at 50. If the objective were
to provide one handpump per 10 families,
these estimates would have to be increased by
500%.
The government apparently places high
priority on handpump development for the
rural areas of the country. However, its
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