| PVC Hand Pumps José
da Rocha Coqueiro, Caitité Bahia
Abstract The CPT (Comissão Pastoral da Terra de Caitité-- Church Commission of Caitité) offers farm workers (with manual skills) courses in building PVC-pumps. The PVC used is rigid, welded together and has a diameter of 160 and 110 mm. This
material is excellent to make hand pumps for the following reasons: Since they have participated in these courses, farm workers in some counties are now building these pumps for their own use or to sell. The results of using the pumps are satisfactory. When used on the ground, the pumps are capable of pumping 3,200 liters/hour. From a height of about 8 m the pumping capacity drops to 1,500 liters/hour. The maximum sucking limit is up to 6 meters, and we already succeeded in pumping water for about 300 m. The PVC- hand pump is used to take water from cisterns and holes and to pump water from wells into other containers to be used in the house as well as for animals, or to water small garden areas. In our region100 pumps are currently in use. There use is limited due to the limited financial resources of farm workers, after all a PVC pump costs between R$ 90 to R$ 100 (US$ 54 to 60). |
