A standpipe is a communal tap, a vertical pipe with a tap on a concrete pad, where households collect water: provide one for every 5-8 households and place it within 200 m of every home. Give it a sloped pad, a drainage channel and a soakaway so spilled water does not turn the area to mud and a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Part of Water Distribution
Standpipes and taps are the points where people take water from a distribution network. They are the part of the system most used, most abused, and most likely to fail, so they decide whether the network is judged a success.
People Use The Standpipe, So It Has To Survive Daily Use
Every drop a household drinks passes the tap, and the tap sits in the most heavily trafficked, wettest spot in the system. The concrete pad keeps feet out of mud, the drainage channel carries spilled water away and the soakaway lets it sink into the ground. A standpipe with no drainage turns into a pool: mud, mosquitoes and contamination, the failure the distribution page lists in its table of mistakes.
Placement is a walking-distance question. At 200 m from the furthest household, a trip with a container is a few minutes each way, and people will not carry water from far if a closer, dirty source exists.
What You Need
- A standpipe site within 200 m of every home it serves, on ground that drains away from houses and wells
- A concrete pad, a pipe, a tap and a drain (Standpipe Construction)
- A tap type that suits the use (Tap Types)
- A soakaway pit (Soakaway) and a drainage design (Drainage Design)
- A caretaker, someone responsible for keeping it clean and working
Method: Count, Place, Build, Look After
Step 1: Count households and divide by the 5-8 per standpipe.
Step 2: Place the standpipes so every home is within 200 m.
Step 3: Build each one with its pad, drain and soakaway.
Step 4: Name a caretaker and a way to report a leak.
Worked Example
A hamlet of 20 households at 5-8 per standpipe needs 20 ÷ 8 = 2.5 to 20 ÷ 5 = 4 standpipes, so 3 or 4. If two cottages lie 250 m from the nearest of them, they fall outside the 200 m rule and need a further standpipe or a branch.
Common Mistakes
- No drainage. Mud, mosquitoes and contamination.
- Too few standpipes. Queues at the tap lead people back to unsafe sources.
- A tap that breaks often and is not repaired. Pick a type you can maintain.
- A hose left attached with its end in a bucket or trough. If pressure drops, water can be drawn back into the pipe.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Standpipe Construction — how to build one
- Combine with: Community Water Testing — checking what comes out of the tap