We develop knowledge to build rich, sustainable lives (read our vision and mission).

Explore 15,660 resources and solutions for sustainability, appropriate technology, poverty alleviation, permaculture and more!

Climate changeCulture and communityDesignEnergyEnvironmentEnvironment rehabilitationFood and agricultureFundamental human needsHealth and safetyInternational developmentKnowledgeTransportWater

Advanced search Browse categories

Announcements

By Lonny Grafman
By Lonny Grafman
Catching rainwater around the world
Get a paperback from Amazon or free digitally at tocatchtherain.org
  • Oct 15 Urban sustainability news: It looks like the pandemic is helping us to move our business into the streets - and killing the urban car along the way [1]
  • Sep 30 Climate news: Has the world started to take climate change fight seriously? [2]
  • Sep 25 California news: Global warming driving California wildfire trends say scientists [3]
  • Sep 22 China news: Climate change: China aims for 'carbon neutrality by 2060' [4]
  • Sep 21 Climate news: World's richest 1% cause double CO2 emissions of poorest 50%, says Oxfam [5]

Read more

Selected page

Octicons puzzle-piece.svg
A treadle pump being demonstrated in Malawi.

A treadle pump is a human-powered Pump designed to lift water from a depth of seven meters or less. A treadleW is a lever device pressed by the foot to drive a machine, in this case a pump. The treadle pump can do most of the work of a motorized pump, but costs considerably less (75%) to purchase. Because it needs no fossil fuel (it is driven by the operator's body weight and leg muscles, it can also cost less (50%) to operate than a motorized pump. It can lift five to seven cubic meters of water per hour from wells and boreholesW up to seven meters deep and can also be used to draw water from water sources such as lakes and rivers. Many treadle pumps are manufactured locally, but they can be challenging to produce consistently without highly skilled welders and production hardware.

Compared to bucket irrigation, the treadle pump can greatly increase the income that farmers generate from their land by increasing the number of growing seasons, by expanding the types of crops that can be cultivated, and improving on the quality of grown crops.

Standard treadle pumps are Suction pumps, and were first developed in the early 1980s in Bangladesh and made popular by IDE. Since then pressure pumps, a modification to the original design that means water is forced out of the pump under pressure, have also been developed and are widely in use in East Africa though KickStart. Pressure treadle pumps allow farmers to spray water and run sprinklers - saving the need for an elevated water storage tank and suction pump system.

Many NGOs (IDEW, KickStartW, Practical Action, IDEI ) have been active in developing and promoting treadle pumps, as well as student and researcher teams at universities.

Selected gallery

Octicons puzzle-piece.svg

Selected quote

Gandhi
What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.
Gandhi
More quotes...

Help us grow!

Appropedia is created by people like you! Feel free to contribute to Appropedia your original research, projects, current works, observations and wisdom. Improve articles by clicking "edit" on top of any page or section. Our philosophy is: BE BOLD and contribute!

Questions? Comments? Visit the Village pump or the Permies permaculture forums.

Facebook Pinterest Twitter Flickr YouTube

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.