Evaluation of the PlayPumps installed in Mozambique
Mission Report

Description:

UNICEF and later Save the Children USA initiated the introduction of the PlayPump in Mozambique. The pump is designed to be mainly used by school children. The turning wheel is connected to a pumping mechanism, which enables to pump water into an overhead tank.

Till date, about 100 PlayPumps have been installed in various schools and communities in the Maputo and Gaza Province in Mozambique. Skat was asked to undertake a technical and social evaluation of the PlayPumps together with CFPAS and to provide an independent study on the technology.

The concept of using children's excess energy while playing for pumping water sounds very attractive. The concept appears to be a very appealing technical option for water supplies used in school sanitation.

However, it is not clear whether the energy is actually enough to make sure that the water pump constantly. The children who play with the pump need to maintain a power input for water pumping from the given depth to the overhead tank and in addition initially need to exceed the power input to turn the pump and create the inertia as the pump acts as a flywheel.

Therefore an in-depth study of its technical performance and the social acceptability was carried out, as well as a comprehensive financial analysis (initial investment and O&M cost), which is needed to review the financial feasibility of the pump.

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Bibliographical Information:

Erpf, K. and A. L. Obiols (2008) Evaluation of the PlayPumps installed in Mozambique. Mission Report , Skat Foundation , St. Gallen, Switzerland

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