Delivering reliable drinking water to millions of rural people in Africa and Asia is an elusive and enduring global goal. A systematic information deficit on the performance of and demand for infrastructure investments limits policy design and development outcomes. Since 2010, the ‘Smart Handpump’ project – a collaboration between the School of Geography and the Environment and the Department of Engineering Science – has been exploring new technologies, methods and models to understand and respond to this challenge. We invite you to test the Smart Handpump in the car park and debate how the ‘accidental infrastructure’ of rural handpumps can spark bolder initiatives to deliver water security.