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[[Image:Treadle_pump_icon.png|right]]
[[Image:Treadle_pump.PNG|thumb|right|150px| The bamboo version of the treadle pump used in Bangladesh ]]
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The treadle pump is a foot-powered water pump widely used in Asia and spreading in Africa. It consists of two metal cylinders with pistons that are operated by a natural walking motion on two treadles. As the cylinders of the treadle pump are above the ground, the maximum depth from which water can be drawn is about 7m.
There are several variations of the treadle pump:
* The River Pump: is mounted on a portable metal stand so that it can be easily moved from one water source to another. It is used to pump from surface water sources. It requires an inlet hose for suction. A borehole is not required.
* The Metal Treadle Pump: incorporates permanently attached metal treadles, which increases portability. It can be mounted on a borehole (like the basic Treadle Pump) to draw from groundwater sources. It can be mounted on a metal frame (like the River Pump) to draw from surface water sources.
* The Concrete Pump: has PVC cylinders embedded in a concrete body. This prevents corrosion of the device in regions with saline groundwater. It is mounted on a borehole to draw from groundwater.
* Plastic Pump: Using only plastic in the construction prevents corrosion in regions with saline groundwater. It can also be mounted on a borehole to draw from groundwater.
==History and social context==
The treadle pump was designed by the Norwegian engineer, Gunnar Barnes in the 1970’s. It was first developed and used for irrigation in Bangladesh in the late 1970’s. In the 1980s, International Development Enterprise (IDE) initiated a campaign to market the pumps to smallholder farmers. Over the course of 12 years, 1.5 million treadle pumps were purchased by farmers, increasing the farmers income by $150 million annually. The cost of the treadle pump scheme was $12 million, compared with conventional dam and canal systems, which would have cost $1.5 billion to irrigate a similar area. The treadle pump programme in India won an Ashden Award in 2006. The treadle pump is very cost -effective; . Its low cost makes it cost accessible to even very poor farmers who can use it to grow dry-season vegetables for home consumption and for sale. In Bangladesh, a pump costs US$ 20 in Bangladesh and generates . On average, farmers are able to generate more than US$ 100 or more per yearin extra income. Together, these Income from treadle pumps add over adds US$ 100 million every year to the GNP of Bangladeshannually. Production and sales are sustainable now sustainable without any external aid. With this technology, many families have increased their income. Some farmers who started with this pedal pump have now bought a motorized pump.
The treadle pump is also being promoted in Africa where it is installed by organisations like Kickstart (former Approtec) and EW Enterprise Works. Models of the treadle pump like the Moneymaker and the Soka-pump are now widely used for small-scale "spray" irrigation.
Currently, over 2 million treadle pumps have been installed worldwide. Up to 1.3 million treadle pumps are in use Asia, and some 35,000 in Eastern Africa. They are being produced in 300 local workshops worldwide and used by more than one million poor rural families that otherwise could not have afforded an irrigation pump.
==Suitable conditions ==