PlayPumps – a proudly South African invention

PlayPumps International’s mission is help improve the lives of children and their families by providing easy access to clean drinking water, enhancing public health, and offering play equipment to millions across Africa. It is an South African invention that was developed into one of the most innovative water solutions for poor families around the world.

In essence it is a children’s merry-go-round attached to a water pump, with a connected high capacity storage tank and tap.

The recipient of several international innovation awards, by 2010 the organisation plans to have 4000 PlayPump systems installed that will supply water to about 10 million people. The organisation’s funding model is also innovative. They seek donations for the installation of the system, and then sell advertising space on the water tower to pay for the maintenance of the system.

The design of the PlayPump water system makes it highly effective, easy to operate and very economical, keeping costs and maintenance to an absolute minimum. Capable of producing up to 1,400 liters of water per hour at 16 rpm from a depth of 40 meters, it is effective up to a depth of 100 meters.

Basically, the system works as follows: While children have fun spinning on the PlayPump merry-go-round (1), clean water is pumped (2) from underground (3) into a 2,500-liter tank (4), standing seven meters above the ground.
A simple tap (5) makes it easy for adults and children to draw water. Excess water is diverted from the storage tank back down into the borehole (6).
The water storage tank (7) provides a rare opportunity to advertise in outlaying communities. All four sides of the tank are leased as billboards, with two sides for consumer advertising and the other two sides for health and educational messages. The revenue generated by this unique model pays for pump maintenance

Read more…