Human and animal powered water lifting devices
Practical Action
Archimedean screw
The Archimedean screw consists of a helical screw mounted on a spindle which is rotated
inside a wooden or metallic cylinder. One end of the cylinder is placed at an angle of 30
degrees and submerged in the surface
water source. When the handle is
turned water is trapped in the cavities
and raised to the level of the irrigation
channel as shown in Figure 7.
Although this design looks quite
complicated, it is fairly easy to build
using local materials and is readily
transportable. It can also be adapted
to be driven by animals as shown in
Figure 8. The Archimedean screw
typically raises water from depths of
0.2 - 1.0 metres at a rate of 250-500
litres/ min.
Figure 7: Archimedean Screw
Source: Water Pumping Devices
Advantages
Disadvantages
A relatively inexpensive traditional technology which can be Limited to lifts of up to 1.2 m.
locally made and maintained.
Transportable and easy to operate
Low to Medium efficiency (30-60%)
Water Delivery of 250-500 l/min for lifts of 0.2-1.0 m
Groundwater Lifters
The following section presents the main types of human and animal powered devices used for
lifting water from shallow and deep wells for irrigation purposes.
Rope and Bucket (Mohte, Charsa, Pur)
The simplest and cheapest method of lifting groundwater remains a rope and bucket in a wide,
shallow well. This type of well can operate up to a depth of 100 metres, although they rarely
exceed 45 metres. The rope and bucket lifter can be operated by humans or animals. Human
operated rope and bucket lifters typically raise 10-15 litres/min from depths of 10-15 metres
whereas an animal water
lifter can raise 150 litres/
min from 15 metres. In
the animal driven rope
and bucket lifter, the rope
attached to the bucket is
passed over a pulley and
fixed to the animal. The
animal is driven down on
an earthen ramp sloped at
an angle of 5-10 degrees
in order to lift the water.
A self-emptying container
or mohte can be used in
place of the bucket as
shown in Figure 8. The
system consists of a leather
container, shaped like a funnel.
The container can typically hold
Figure 8: Mohte.
Source: Water Pumping Devices
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