Bush pump
The Bush Pump is a robust conventional lever action handpump, developed and standardised in Zimbabwe (SAZ 881:2004). It is designed for heavy-duty use, serving communities of 300 persons.
The typical feature of this pump is the “Hardwood block” that acts as both, bearing and lever mechanism. The pump is designed that the stand can be directly bolted to the protruding 6” steel casing of the borehole, Ø150 mm NB (Nominal Bore).Three different cylinders are available, the smallest one extend the range to a maximum recommended lift of 80 m. The Bush Pump is not corrosion resistant. It requires special skills for installation as well as for the maintenance; it is not a VLOM pump.
Contents
Suitable conditions
Distribution: More than 30,000 in Zimbabwe.
| Ø75 mm cylinder: | for depths from 3 - 25 m |
| Ø63.5 mm cylinder: | for depths from 20 - 45 m |
| Ø50 mm cylinder: | for depths from 40 - 80 m |
| Maximum Stroke: | 200 - 250 mm |
| Approx. discharge (75 watt input, 63.5 mm cylinder): |
at 10 m head: 1.4 m³/hour at 15 m head: 1.1 m³/hour |
| Pumping lift: | 5 - 80 m |
| Population served: | ~ 300 people |
| Households: | 30 - 50 households |
| Water consumption: | 15 - 20 l/per capita |
| Type of well: | borehole or dug well |
Construction, operations and maintenance
Pump stand is made of mild steel painted, handle & riser pipes of galvanized GI pipe, pump rods are of galvanized steel, cylinder of brass, bearing block of hardwood, plunger and foot valve of bronze or brass. This pump is not corrosion resistant and should not be used in areas with aggressive water (pH < 6.5).
The Bush Pump has excellent potential for local manufacturing and is produced by different companies in Zimbabwe.
The installation of the Bush Pump needs well trained area mechanics. Lifting tackle is used for pump installation and maintenance interventions. No special tools are needed.
The pump with the standard configuration has a limited “Community Management Potential”, but it is very reliable and popular with the community. Besides the “Standard” configuration, there exists an “Open Top Cylinder” version (easier to maintain) with different cylinder sizes (Ø50 mm, Ø63.5 mm and Ø75 mm). To make maintenance easy, pump rods with case-hardened hook & eye connectors, are standard (Ø16 mm).
Manuals, videos, and links
- ERPF, K. The Bush Pump - the national Standard Handpump of Zimbabwe or (alternative link). A review by SKAT/HTN to find out what had made this pump so popular in Zimbabwe. Skat , RWSN (incl. HTN), St Gallen, Switzerland. 1998.
- MORGAN, P. The Zimbabwe Bush Pump (B Type). Installation Manual with notes on maintenance, Aquamor Pvt Ltd., Harare, Zimbabwe. 2011.
- MORGAN, P. Making a strong “head-works” for the Zimbabwe Bush Pump. (for boreholes), Aquamor Pvt Ltd, Harare, Zimbabwe. 2012.
- RWSN/DWRD Bush Pump. Zimbabwe Standard Specification, Department of Water Resources and Development , The Zimbabwe Government, Harare, Zimbabwe. 2004.