Practica Foundation

The Volanta handpump is a high‐end community drinking water handpump that can lift water from greater depths than many alternatives – up to 80 meters deep. The Volanta handpump differs from other pumps with its durable and corrosion free construction, reducing maintenance and recurrent costs. It is designed for local production, which increases availability of spare parts.

Solar-powered Volanta pump in Niger.

The Volanta handpump was developed to reduce the maintenance problems associated with manual pump‐based rural water supply systems. Common reasons for hand pump failures include a lack of spare parts, expensive or complex repairs and an absence of trained and qualified mechanics. It was also recognized that for community water supply, the reoccurring costs are much more important than the initial purchase cost. This is because the investment cost is usually paid for by a donor whereas ongoing costs must to be paid for by the community. In view of this, the Volanta pump was designed for minimal maintenance costs, with the following aims:

1) High durability (using oversized bearings, stainless steel parts, etc), even when used intensively and lifting water from deep aquifers. Because all its components in contact with water are corrosion free, the pump has a virtually unlimited lifetime, provided that wear parts are replaced on time through basic maintenance.

2) In‐country manufacture, which helps to assure that spare parts are available and there is a local expertise not only in maintenance and repair, but also further production. An added advantage is that the supply lines between the manufacturers and users are short so that any manufacturing or design faults can be communicated easily and problems can be addressed. Establishing production near end‐users encourages sustainable solutions that respond to local needs.

The ‘volant’ (flywheel) makes the pump easy to operate and suitable for depths up to 80m. As additional advantage, the large wheel can be used for electric or engine drive, increasing the functionality possible and adding redundancy.

Volanta handpump in Burkina Faso.

The Volanta handpump is a good choice where the water table is deep, and the pump will be used intensively. The local production of the Volanta handpump makes it very suitable for situations where investments in drinking water supply can support the local private sector, further boosting the economy and increasing local technical capacity. PRACTICA can help determine if the Volanta pump is right for your program, and assist in training local enterprises in the production, installation and maintenance of the pumps.

Volanta handpumps are reaching users in Burkina Faso, where local production was initiated in 1982 at a mission workshop / training school. Since then over 6000 pumps have been independently manufactured. The business generates a good profit which is used to support another technical school. In Niger, local production was started in 1985. Since then over 1000 pumps have been produced. A Dutch manufacturer of Volanta has also exported Volanta handpumps to Angola, Mozambique and Cameroon.

Interested?

If you are interested in the Volanta handpump, please contact us to find out more.