Pumps part 2

...but, I cannot think about water and pumps without my mind turning towards those for whom the daily grind of water collection is still a reality (not to mention those who have no access to clean water at all) and I wanted to write about a scheme which I think is brilliant in it's simplicity.

Meet One Water. The water itself is from Powys, but One is rather special because 100% of the profilt from sales of this water is pumped into a scheme which brings clean water to communities in sub-Saharan Africa. The scheme is called Playpumps. It works like this...

A borehole is sunk into a source of clean water, usually close by a school or other place where children gather. At the top of the borehole is installed a pump. The pump is in the form of a specially crafted children's roundabout. As the children play on the roundabout, water is pumped out of the ground into a 2,500 litre storage tank and piped to a tap, providing instant clean water for a community. The children no longer have to walk to collect water.

The Playpump is capable of producing up to 1,400 litres of water per hour, from a depth of 40 metres, if the roundabout is rotated at 16rpm. Boreholes can be deeper than this though, because the pump is effective up to a depth of 100m.

The storage tank, which stands 7 metres above ground, can now also function as an advertising hoarding. All four sides are leased as billboards; two to advertise products and the other two for health and educational messages. The money raised from leasing the billboards pays for the upkeep of the Playpump, so, once installed, the whole system is self sustaining.
 
 

 
What a brilliant idea - the children get to play and the whole community benefits from clean water!

The short video at this link, advertises One Water by showing exactly how Playpumps work http://www.onedifference.org/water

And the co-op website has a Playpump water game. Follow this link to see how much you can pump :)           http://www.co-operativewater.co.uk/game/index.html  

Pumps part 1

The village pump was once the focal point of community life, not only providing the main source of clean water, but also a place to gather and exchange news.  Today, it is difficult to imagine what it must have been like to have no instant access to clean running water, but I know that the single biggest irritation when we camp (which I love to do) is having to collect and carry water. It makes me appreciate the ease of turning on a tap - especially for hot water at washing up time!

Most village pumps were cast iron and all companies had their individual markings for identification, though weathering often renders them unreadable. I think that the shape and arrangement of the lettering of the Hanbury pump are consistent with the stamp of the makers Appleby and Co., who were an ironworks in Renishaw near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, between 1793 and 1999. (To see if you agree, follow the link to this website http://www.villagepumps.org.uk/manufs.htm )