EMAS pump
In many rural areas, people collect water used for domestic purposes from a central water source. These can be very far away from home, therefore collecting water takes up much time and energy on a daily basis. It is much more convenient to at least connect a distant pump to a local faucet for water in the kitchen, and if possible also for a shower. It also encourages better personal and domestic hygiene. This is possible using the EMAS pump, since it ejects water with the necessary pressure to transport it from its source up to an elevated distribution tank.
EMAS is the acronym for Escuela Móvil de Agua y Saneamiento (Mobile School for Water and Sanitation), in Bolivia, whose director, Wolfgang Eloy Buchner, developed the EMAS pump in the 1990's. EMAS is not only the name of the mobile school for water and sanitation, but also a whole technical and social concept of water and sanitation which includes rain water harvesting, solar water heaters, windpower, hydraulic rams, water treatment, small tanks and sinks, a variety of hand and foot pumps, and ferrocement tanks. The aim of the technologies and systems is to achieve the necessary supply of drinkable water, and water for micro irrigation in rural and sub urban areas.
Contents
Suitable Conditions
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| - Comfort of having water supply in the house - Saves time |
- Individual households have to spend time and money on maintenance of the tank, etc |
Construction, operations and maintenance
The EMAS pump and ferrocement tank need to be operated correctly.
Using a ferrocement tank and pipes, a shower and additional tap for laundry or kitchen usage can be installed. The tank is arranged on 4 solid wooden supporting beams at a height of about 2m. The distance between the beams should not exceed 80 cm. The shower can be installed under the tank by setting a plastic sheet around the beams to be used as a screen when taking a shower.
Further a laundry or kitchen basin is set up 80 cm high, and the faucet 1 meter high. The drain pipe is required with a diameter from 3/4" to 1 1/2". It has been observed that a 3/4" polyethylene hose is sufficient, and also very inexpensive. For the pipes to the faucet it is advisable to use PVC 1/2" pipes, with folding or coiled accessories. Accessories manufactured by hand will also be useful, since there is not much pressure in this system.
Costs
Field Experiences
Reference manuals, videos, and links
- How to build a kitchen sink http://vimeo.com/8454714