• Dirty

  For many communities, their primary water source is contaminated. Some drink from streams laden with dirty runoff. Others drink from mud puddles. Many drink from the same ponds that livestock wade through. These communities have no other choice. They face chronic illness that prevents children from attending school and adults from working to support their families. Dirty water is perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

• Unreliable

  Even when communities have access to a safe water source, it’s often for a short period of time. Many standard hand pumps break down after only a few months of use. Others are installed on wells that stop producing water during the dry season because the pumps cannot reach deep enough. Research indicates that about one-third of commonly used hand pumps in Africa are no longer functioning. When a community cannot rely on their pump to supply adequate water year-round or when they fear the next pump breakdown, they are less likely to invest in seed for crops, animals for food and income, resources to begin businesses, or education for their children. Confidence in a community’s water source is key to long-term sustainability.

• Deep

  Each day, women and children in many developing countries walk miles to the nearest water source. The journey takes hours and is often full of danger. Time spent collecting water is time NOT spent going to school, farming, or starting a business. Distant water is a barrier to safety, education, and economic empowerment. Even in communities that have access to a nearby hand pump, many still cannot access water year-round. Standard hand pumps only reach depths of 50 meters; if the water table drops below that, the hand pump no longer works, forcing families to return to contaminated surface water that is often many miles away.

• Safe

  LifePump reaches deep into the ground, accessing aquifers filled with fresh, clean water. It produces water free of contamination without requiring filters or chemicals. This water promotes improved health, hydration, and nutrition in rural communities, enabling children to attend school, parents to go to work, and families to grow crops and support livestock. Safe water is the foundation for better health, education, and economic opportunity.

• Reliable

  LifePump lasts longer than standard hand pumps available today. Designed for durability, LifePump is constructed of stainless steel and has fewer wearable parts than standard pumps. With five-year preventive maintenance cycles, LifePump has an estimated lifespan of 30 years or more. The first permanent LifePump, installed in Malawi, has been operating since 2013 without fail. When people have water they can rely on, they have the foundation needed for investing in agriculture, infrastructure, education, and overall economic growth. Consistency leads to confidence—confidence that water will flow day after day, year after year.

• Accessible

  LifePump reaches deeper than standard hand pumps available today. Because it can reach up to 150 meters—three times the depth of standard hand pumps—LifePump can access water year-round, even in places that previously had no hope for safe water. With a reliable source of water at the center of their communities, women and children get hours of their day back. They no longer have to face the dangers of miles-long treks to gather water. Children can go to school. Women can invest in their gardens and start businesses. Families can attend church together. As it is often said in Africa, “Water is life.”

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