University of Notre Dame Study Proposes Optimization Model to End the "Hidden Crisis" of Broken Water Handpumps Across Sub-Saharan Africa

University of Notre Dame study uses Markov Decision Process models to reduce rural African water pump downtime by up to 62%, saving lives and logistics costs.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 5:35 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from the University of Notre Dame

Addressing the Handpump Crisis

In rural sub-Saharan Africa, the handpump is a lifeline. However, an estimated 50,000 pumps are currently non-functional, leaving millions at risk of losing safe water access. To solve this, Assistant Professor Chengcheng Zhai and her team analyzed how nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) manage maintenance when faced with limited budgets and uncertain data. Their findings, forthcoming in the journal Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, offer a data-driven strategy to transform water management from reactive "firefighting" to proactive stewardship.

A Model for Optimal Maintenance

The researchers developed a dynamic optimization framework known as the Markov Decision Process (MDP). This model helps NGOs decide which pump clusters to visit next by balancing two competing factors: the cost of travel and the cost of pump downtime.

“Under this approach, NGOs perform both preventive maintenance and any needed repairs during each scheduled visit,” says Zhai.

By analyzing the time elapsed since the last visit and the number of reported breakdowns, the model identifies the "sweet spot" for mechanic deployment.