Changes

==Construction, operations and maintenance==

[[Image:DirectActionHandpump.jpg|thumb|right|400px| Direct action handpump mechanics.]]

Direct action handpumps are usually made of PVC and other plastics, and are installed on boreholes of limited depth. A plunger is attached to the lower end of a pump rod, beneath the groundwater level. The user moves the pump rod in an up-and-down motion, using a T-bar handle. On the up-stroke, the plunger lifts water into the rising main, and replacement water is drawn into the cylinder through the foot valve. On the down- stroke, the foot valve closes, and water passes through a one-way valve in the plunger and is lifted on the next upstroke.