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Background

 Prior to the introduction of treadle pumps, small landholders were forced to either farm land that was not irrigated or buy or rent costly diesel pumps.  The diesel pumps took away precious resources for the farmers as well as led to environmental damage.  Besides producing CO2, diesel pumps tended to wash away top soil and leave large pockets of surface water that attracted pests.  These pumps also ran the risk of spilling thus resulting in additional degradation.   Many farmers could not afford to rent or purchase a diesel pump.  These farmers  might have to relocate to cities during the dry season to seek temporary employement.²  Treadle pumps haven taken the place of diesel pumps in many instances and have thus allowed farmers to farm additional crops, increase their income, and reduce their environmental footprint. 

Mechanics

Complete Treadle Pump

Source: International Development Enterprises. Author: International Development Enterprises. Permission: International Development Enterprises.

The treadle pump consists of two parts, the pump and the operating mechanism.  The pump is generally made of metal and has two cylinders that are connected to a suction pipe at the base and an outlet spout at the surface.  The operating mechanism is made up of metal, bamboo, or wood foot pedals that are attached to a superstructure that the operator can hold onto for support.  As the operator of the pump shifts their weight on the foot pedals, plungers inside the cylinders reciprocate the motion and draw water alternately into each barrel.  Non-return valves protect the inlet and also allow the plunger to move down through the water in the cylinder on the downward stroke without forcing it back down the suction pipe.  The upward movement of the plunger lifts the water in the cylinder out the spout and simultaneously draws more water into the barrel of the suction pipe. ³  The water is either lifted onto the field directly, into a pond or into an irrigation canal.  A typical household will need to operate the pump for between two and eight hours a day.⁴  

Advantages

Treadle pumps provide small farmers with a reliable independent irrigation source, which allows for greater crop yields and higher incomes. ⁵  Farmers can increase their crop intensity by 200-300% by growing higher value crops and by cultivating crops all year round.  One estimate puts the income impact at $100 a year.⁶ The relative ease with which they are operated helps decrease the overall workload for families. Treadle pumps are generally inexpensive and the farmers can sometimes recover the cost of the pump within a single growing season. There are very few additional costs once the pump has been purchased, since it requires no running costs. They are also portable and relatively easy to repair.⁷ 

There are a number of environmental benefits resulting from the use of treadle pumps.  The use of a treadle pump as opposed to a diesel pump decreases the amount of CO2 entering the atmosphere, both directly from ceasing to rely on a fossil fuel and indirectly from being able to plant more crops which absorb CO2.  Less fertilizer will be needed since treadle pumps are less likely to wash away top soil.  The use of pesticides should also diminish since treadle pumps leave a smaller volume of water on the surface of the ground.⁸  These benefits will vary to some extent depending on the development program, the materials used, and the country.

Disadvantages

One disadvantage of the treadle pump is that efficiency rapidly decreases as the depth of the water source increases.  This limits the areas in which it can be used.  Treadle pumps that have bodies made of metal have to deal with the possibility of rusting.  This is especially prevalent in areas where there is a lot of salt water.  For bamboo treadle pumps specifically, it is not possible to create pressurized flow.  The pump is only able to draw water from below itself and then let the water pour out of the sprout.⁹

Implementation

International Development Enterprises (IDE)  was one of the first organizations to implement a treadle pump initiative.  Through a focused value chain and social marketing they were able to popularize this technology.  As of 2009, 84 manufacturers were producing treadle pumps resulting in the sale of 1.4 millions pumps in Bangladesh since 1985.  It was a successful program by the IDE that encouraged such organizations as the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), KickStart, and Enterprise Works to begin treadle pump initiatives of their own.¹⁰ 

In 2006 International Development Enterprises India won an Ashden Award for its treadle pump supply chain in rural areas of Eastern India.  The pump costs between $20 and $32, with an additional $11 for tube well and installation.  As of February 2009, 750,000 treadle pumps had been manufactured and sold.  Farmers have been able to grow one or sometimes even two additional crops by working the pump for between 2 and eight hours a day.  Farmers' diets have improved and they have been able to sell their surplus vegetables for a profit.  One survey showed that farm incomes doubled and sometimes tripled with the installation of the pump.  TUV Nord had verified greenhouse gas savings of .477 tonnes/year of CO2 per pump.  In the past four years alone, 177 thousand tonnes CO2 savings have been verified.  There is an estimated total saving of 1.45 million tonnes of Co2 to date.   One of the reasons that IDEI has been so successful is because they set up local supply chains to manufacture, distribute, sell and install the pumps.  IDEI trains all the manufacturers, dealers  and installation mechanics but retains the responsibility of product development and quality control.  They have created innovative sales strategies that include using Bollywood style films to market the product.  The films revolve around characters who benefit from installing a treadle pump.  All of these factors have helped the treadle pump gain traction with Indian farmers. ¹¹ 

Another example of successful treadle pump implementation is that of KickStart in rural Kenya.  The Original MoneyMaker pump was introduced in September of 1996.  This pump can pull water from up to 23 feet deep and be used to furrow irrigate two acres of land.  Over 4,000 of these pumps have been sold resulting in over $3.9 million in new profits and wages every year.  A pressurized pump was introduced in 1998 under the name of Super-MoneyMaker Pump.  This pump can push water uphill and can pull water from hand-dug wells, rivers, streams, lakes and ponds.  KickStart has had some substantial results that include:  45,000 pumps in use, 29,000 new jobs created,  $37 million in profits and wages generated, and over 400 retailers recruited to sell pumps in Kenya, Tanzania and Mali. ¹²

Footnotes

1. Treadle Pump; IDE - International Development Enterprises. 2009. Retrieved: 11/20/09

2.  Treadle Pump; IDE - International Development Enterprises. 2009. Retrieved: 11/20/09

3. Kwaschik, Ralf.   Bamboo Treadle Pump: Technology for Agriculture; FAO- Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 11/25/09

4. Wheldon, Anne and Jeremy Rawlings. Case Study: International Development Enterprises, India: The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy; The Ashden Awards for sustainable energy. April 2009. Retrieved: 10/ 23/09

5. Kwaschik, Ralf. Bamboo Treadle Pump: Technology for Agriculture; FAO- Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 11/25/09

6. Treadle Pump; IDEI - International Development Enterprises India. 2009. Retrieved: 03/31/10

7. Treadle Pump; IDE - International Development Enterprises. 2009. Retrieved: 11/20/09

8. Wheldon, Anne and Jeremy Rawlings. Case Study: International Development Enterprises, India: The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy; The Ashden Awards for sustainable energy. April 2009. Retrieved: 10/ 23/09

9. Kwaschik, Ralf. Bamboo Treadle Pump: Technology for Agriculture; FAO- Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 11/25/09

10. Treadle Pump; IDE - International Development Enterprises. 2009. Retrieved: 11/20/09

11. Wheldon, Anne and Jeremy Rawlings. Case Study: International Development Enterprises, India: The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy; The Ashden Awards for sustainable energy. April 2009. Retrieved: 10/ 23/09

12. Micro-Irrigation Technologies; KickStart: The Tools to End Poverty. Retrieved: 11/23/09