There was good news in the headlines recently, when it was reported that more families living in the developing nation of Myanmar will have direct access to clean water supplies.  Clean water supplies are necessary for the survival of the world’s population.  Unfortunately, it is not always easy for people in developing nations to get access to the clean water, because it exists deep beneath the earth, out of their reach.  They do not have the water pumps, sensors, and controls that we take for granted.

Fortunately, though, efforts are being made to improve the water pumps in countries like Myanmar.  This nation is often referred to as Burma.  The Southeast Asian country is small, but is still home to more than fifty million people.  All of those people need clean water.  There are many changes taking place in Myanmar, where the first contested election in twenty-five years took place in 2015.  And, in March of this year, the first non-military president, in more than fifty years, was elected.

It looks as if things are moving in the right direction for this nation. There is trouble for certain areas through.  While much of the country receives an excess of rain water throughout the year, allowing them to save and store drinking water, there are areas that see less than forty inches per year, and that is not enough to serve the water consumption needs of those living in the areas.

New developments, though, have provided solar water pumps to select areas of Myanmar, which means that clean water can be brought forth from the ground to help fulfill the needs of citizens.  The solar pumps are more resilient and durable then hand pumps and diesel powered varieties.  That means water is readily available and the supplies aren’t as likely to dry up due to pump failure.

While most Americans do not use solar water pumps, we do care about extending the longevity of our systems, which is why there are so many innovative sensors and controls available to keep operators, technicians and property owners informed about the performance of the pumps, even when they are out of sight.