Rope pump

On the rope, round disks or knots matching the diameter of the pipe are attached which pull the water to the surface.

It is commonly used in developing countries for both community supply and self-supply of water and can be installed on boreholes or hand-dug wells.

[5] In the 1980s Reinder van Tijen an inventor and grass roots activist, with the support of the Royal Tropical Institute of Amsterdam, created and began instructing various communities around the world how to make a rope pump from simple available parts using PVC pipes and plastic moldings.

[5] In Africa the improved model of the rope pump was introduced around 1995 but in many countries failed due to the use of outdated designs and lack of long term follow up on quality in production and installation.

[7] By the 2020 an estimated 5 million people in 20 countries worldwide were using rope pumps for domestic uses and small scale irrigation.

[8] Rigid valves using plastic or metal washers that fit tightly into the PVC pipe as the rope is dragged through are also used.