Water Well Road Trip to Tanzania. A Visit to Set Up Well Maintenance and Learn More About Service Capacity in Central and Northern Tanzania

Tanzania is a large eastern African nation with a diverse climate. The author has been actively engaged in helping American and Tanzanian groups develop and equip water supplies, mostly from a distance. While rapidly developing, it has been the author’s assessment that technical capacity (rigs, equipment, supplies, skilled personnel) are inadequate to meet demand for water construction, repair, and rehabilitation services. One aspect of the problem is establishing deliberate well maintenance to preserve the performance and water quality of scarce wells. A newly established medical center in central Tanzania has experienced problems with its water supply well. The author worked with the American sponsors of the facility, and during a recent visit, set up a maintenance monitoring program. During the visit, capacity for well construction and repair services was assessed, and this presentation briefly presents impressions of the water well industry situation in two different parts of the nation.