During our recent trip with the Ugandan Water Project, we visited communities, schools, and health clinics for a close-up and hands-on learning experience of how clean water solutions in Uganda are helping people break free from the bondage of water-borne disease and poverty.

By building water infrastructure, developing sustainable water enterprises, and advocating for national systems that keep clean water flowing, these solutions are helping Ugandans have safe water today, tomorrow, and forever.

Because open data unlocks the potential for information systems and applications to help people improve their decision-making and service delivery. Because open data enables new digital freedoms.

The assessment data from each site is sent to the platform where program staff use it to identify and plan their service delivery.

This in depth case study describes how UWP uses the data in the mWater platform to guide site selection for programmatic interventions. The same data platform is leveraged for post-implementation tracking and reporting progress to donors.

For example, as donors, we were provided reports for Rainwater Collection System installs at Building Tomorrow Mwiguru and Building Tomorrow Kibimba.

The revamped Ugandan Water Atlas created through RUMIS enhances water asset management and planning, laying the foundation for ongoing updates and collaboration among government and NGO partners like UWP.

Technology and policy working together

RUMIS is emerging as a key technology enabler of Uganda’s transformative policy objectives. The National Framework for Operation and Maintenance of Rural Water Infrastructure in Uganda (published in July 2020) provides comprehensive guidance to ensure the sustainability and functionality of rural water facilities that serve 82% of Uganda’s population.

Developed by the Uganda Ministry of Water and Environment, the National Framework enhances the existing Community-Based Management System by introducing a Professional Management Approach. This approach leverages Area Service Providers (ASPs) like UWP’s Aqua Trust program to handle maintenance under performance-based contracts, ensuring financial sustainability, availability of quality spare parts, and efficient water facility operation.

The National Framework emphasizes streamlined coordination among stakeholders, transparent financial management, and integration of cross-cutting issues like gender equity and environmental sustainability. It includes mechanisms for community engagement, institutional capacity building, and monitoring to address challenges such as inadequate planning, limited technical expertise, and funding constraints.

The AquaTrust initiative by the Ugandan Water Project is a model program that fits into the National Framework. AquaTrust offers a subscription-based borehole maintenance service designed to ensure continuous access to clean water for Ugandan communities. Upon enrollment, AquaTrust installs new, high-quality hardware in the community’s borehole well to minimize future breakdowns. Subscribers make secure monthly payments via mobile money, which cover comprehensive services including quarterly maintenance, annual overhauls, and a 24-hour emergency response for any well issues—all at no additional cost beyond the subscription fee.

Launched in November 2021 in partnership with Uganda’s Luwero District, AquaTrust became the exclusive service provider for wells in five sub-counties. This program represents a sustainable, community-driven solution to maintain vital water infrastructure, reducing reliance on external aid and ensuring reliable access to safe water.

In July 2024, we visited the Luwero District Headquarters to learn about the innovative approach to community-based water management enhanced by professional ASP services through AquaTrust.

One of the digital innovations that AquaTrust deploys are special hand pump sensors designed by charity: water. These sensors measure liters pumped per hour and can immediately identify any fluctuation in productivity. With this kind of real-time data, if a decrease in water flow is detected—or the flow stops altogether—a hand pump technician can be deployed to help make repairs.

By combining the detailed data collected by field staff in the mWater platform and the hourly data from the monitoring sensors, AquaTrust program officials are empowered with information about community assets, context, and up-to-date usage patterns. With this information at hand, the ASP can coordinate efficient responses to both routine maintenance and mechanical breakdowns.

The mWater and the charity: water platforms provide API access so the underlying data can be remixed, analyzed, and presented to support program operations and strategic planning.

To illustrate, I created a simple dashboard using the open source software tools of Python, Dash, and Plotly.

For each water point + sensor, we can get an at-a-glance view of basic metadata, including an interactive map and images captured from the field.

By processing the real-time sensor data we can draw attention to abnormal operations:

And then by analyzing the historic sensor data we can plot various trends over time, including:

It’s remarkable to see how digital transformation in Uganda is unlocking the power of clean water data and accelerating a brighter future. Open data is unlocking the potential for information systems and applications to help people improve their decision-making and service delivery.

I’m excited to see how open data will enable new digital freedoms in Uganda.