Lifewater’s hand-powered pumps a welcome alternative to electrical versions

If you have ever used a handpump to gather well water, you know it can be hard work.

The job is a lot easier with an electric pump. But in Africa and Haiti, where Lifewater Canada has been drilling wells and installing pumps for more than 10 years, we focus entirely on providing high-quality handpumps rather than the electrical versions for two main reasons:

• When an electrical pump fails, the parts and knowledge needed to repair it may not be available for months or even years.
• The only way in many rural villages to generate the power for an electrical pump is by constantly buying and burning gasoline or diesel to fuel a generator.

That was the scenario in Kutunku Bassa. The Nigerian village had safe, drinkable water 140 feet underground, but could no longer access it because their water well’s electrical pump was broken. Instead, they were relying on dirty water from a nearby river (see left photo below).

The villagers asked our Lifewater repair team to visit. When team leader Hosea Abalaka Apeh told the community we install only hand-operated pumps, some residents were disappointed. But when Hosea described how easily the handpump could be maintained and repaired, and how much money could be saved by no longer needing an electrical generator, the changeover was warmly welcomed (see right photo below).

“They were happy with our work on the handpump because it took them off the need to fuel and maintain an electrical generator to power the submersible pump,” Hosea recalls.

It is donations from Canadians like you that enable these handpumps to be installed and/or repaired. Without them, many water wells are useless – forcing desperate people to drink from contaminated streams and rivers, where they risk contracting potentially fatal diarrheal diseases. Please donate today.