One of the most popular hand pumps today is the “Mark II”. To produce 15 liters of water per minute using this pump would require 40 consecutive strokes with 20 KG of force for each stroke in 60 seconds. This is the level of effort required for a 25M water depth; the effort increases to 30 KG of force per stroke for a 45M depth. An extremely strong man would have great difficulty keeping up that pace even for a short time.

Throughout the Developing World, the task of operating the hand pump or fetching water usually falls to women and children. They cannot even begin to approach the rate of 40 strokes per minute with the required force, much less maintain it. If it were even possible to keep up that rate, with no stopping to change buckets or to rest, one could only produce 4,500 liters in five hours of non-stop pumping.Realistically, a hand pump will only produce 2,500- 3,000 liters of water per day. Human strength, fatigue and broken down hand pumps significantly limit the daily production rate.

Studies in Africa have shown that, at any given time, 30% - 60% of all hand pumps are broken and completely useless. Consequently, there must be an alternative water source which requires women and children to spend several hours daily carrying water to homes, schools and clinics.

Standard hand pumps can only pump water directly into open buckets. They are incapable of pumping water into an elevated tank or to provide pressure for distribution through a central piping system to multiple points.Water pumped into a bucket with a hand pump may already be contaminated with waterborne diseases and is susceptible to being exposed to additional airborne diseases when left in an open container. The consumption of contaminated water puts the entire community at risk of dangerous, life threatening, health consequences.
In some areas, many hours of labor are spent daily collecting water. Now there is a better way!

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