A The '''Rope Pump consist ''' is a highly '''efficient''', modern and '''low cost''' pump and one of the few designs that can truly be operated and '''maintained totally at a PVC pipe with village level'''. There are various modern developments of the ancient design but the basic design of all pumps and consists of a continuous loop of rope though with pistons (or plastic washers) attached to it, to which washers are attached which fit in the tube rope passes up through a plastic pipe with only a small clearance. A wheel above ground pulls , thus allowing the rope with pistons to push the washers through the pipe. The water is held between up and out of the washers in top of the pipe, and is pulled to the surface. Rope pumps have proven highly successful and there are very simple, hundreds of thousands of pumps in use world wide and can be easily repaired. They are used for anything from community adn domestic water supply, to irrigation and cattle watering. For wells down to 35 m, rope pumps are often five times cheaper and more sustainable than standard piston pumps. Rope pumps can be powered by hand, bicycle, motor, horse, or wind power.
==History and social context==
