RonnyMuthomi/tanzania-water-well-status-classifier

Classifier model to predict the condition of water wells # Water Wells Functionality Condition ## Predicting Water Well Functionality in Tanzania Using Machine Learning ### Author: Ronny Muthomi ## The Problem Access to clean and functional water sources remains a major challenge in Tanzania, especially in rural and underserved regions. Although thousands of water wells have been installed across the country, a significant number are either non-functional or in need of repair. The lack of timely maintenance, poor infrastructure planning, and limited resource allocation contribute to this issue, leaving many communities without reliable access to safe water. Currently, there is no efficient, data-driven system in place to proactively identify which water wells are likely to fail or require repairs. This results in reactive maintenance, inefficient use of government or NGO resources, and prolonged water shortages for affected populations. **The core problem is the absence of a predictive system that can classify the operational status of water wells (functional, functional but needs repair, or non-functional)** based on available well-related features. Without such a system, stakeholders cannot easily prioritize interventions, optimize maintenance schedules, or learn from patterns of failure to improve future water point installations. ## Business Understanding Tanzania struggles with providing reliable access to clean water, especially in rural areas. Many existing water wells are non-functional or in need of repair, impacting millions. This project aims to build a machine learning model that predicts the condition of water wells based on features like pump type, construction year, and location. The model will support NGOs, government agencies, and donors in identifying at-risk wells and prioritizing repairs, ultimately improving water access and resource allocation. In this project, the goal is to develop a machine learning-based classification model that can predict the current condition of a water well ( …