Economic Opportunity Mailing List Archive

["James BISCOE" <<address removed>>]

Andy Bullock refers to success with treadle pumps. They are simple and 
reasonably robust but only operate when there is a person or persons available 
to provide the power.
A hydram or hydraulic ram pump on the other hand works continuously day and 
night with no electricity, no labour, no diesel and minimal maintenance. Used 
to pump water to a higher level storage this can then readily provide gravity 
fed drip irrigation especially if the newer pressure compensating self cleaning 
drippers are used.
Hydrams are still made I believe in UK and the USA but could be locally made in 
developing countries?

Water wheels and peristaltic pumps also have potential but have been less 
widely tested and tried, have more moving parts and therefore more potential 
hazards but could be used in suitable sites?

Of course there is also the option of linking waste water processing by 
anaerobic digestion to pumping through using the methane produced to run diesel 
engines (or when they get cheaper, fuel cells). Are there known instances where 
these technologies have been usefully combined and shown to have sustainable 
benefits?
Thanks
James Biscoe
8/5/04
0900hrs