We live in a world where more people in Africa have access to mobile phones than have access to clean drinking water. Water infrastructure across Africa can be fragmented and unreliable. 10 years ago it was estimated that one in three hand pumps in rural areas were broken globally, and one reason for this is a lack of maintenance and repair.

In 2016 the Frontier Tech Hub worked with eWATER Services to pilot the use of IoT sensors within solar-powered water systems in rural Tanzania. Through monitoring patterns in water flow and volume, engineers were able to identify issues and breakages in the WASH system and respond. Water tap access increased from 66% to 99%, and in one village, the average time spent collecting water per household was reduced from three hours a day to just 10 minutes, with children able to attend school as a result.

This short film tells the story of the humans in Singida and Endanachan whose lives have been drastically improved by 24/7 access to safe water.

Many thanks to the contributors to this film, including our friends at eWater Services and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.