Human and animal powered water lifting devices
Practical Action
Comparison of human- and animal- surface water and groundwater lifting
devices
Table 2 provides an assessment of the different technologies considered in this technical brief.
Type
Power
Source
Swing Basket
Shadouf /
Picottah
Dhone
Human
Human
Human
Paddle
Wheel
Persian
Wheel
Archimedean
Screw
Human
Animal
Human
Rope and
Bucket
Mohte
Double
Bucket
Suction
piston
Treadle
Rower
Chain &
Washer
Pump
Human
Animal
Animal
Animal
Human
Human
Human
Human
Animal
Manufacture
Investment Maximum
Cost Lift (m)
SURFACE WATER
Basic
Low
Basic/
Traditional
Low-
Medium
Basic/
Traditional
Low-
Medium
Basic/
Traditional
Low-
Medium
Traditional
Low-
Medium
1.20
4.00
1.50
0.50
20
Traditional/
Industrial
Medium-
High
1.5
SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER
Basic
Low 100
Basic
Low 100
Basic/
Traditional
Low -
Medium
100
Basic/
Traditional
Low -
Medium
100
Industrial
Low -
Medium
7
Basic/
Traditional
Low -
Medium
7
Traditional
Low -
Medium
7
Basic/
Traditional
Low to
Medium
35
Basic/
Traditional
Low to
Medium
35
Typical
Flow Rate
(litres/min
)
Typical
Lift (m)
60-80
60
0.75
2-3
80-60
300
0.30-
1.00
0.50
250-280
160-170
250-500
3
9
0.2-1.0
15
150
130
230
24-36
100
50
40
10
60
10
15
9
5
7
4
4
10
35
20
Table 2: Comparison of Different Types of Human- & Animal- Powered Water Lifting Devices
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