Is the Rope pump fit for communal water supply?
There are different opinions on this since the rope pump is a semi-open pump and requires frequent maintenance. In many countries the rope pump are used for communal water supply. In Nicaragua the rope pump is the national standard for hand pumps used by organisations such as UNICEF, CARE, etc. However, if a rope pump is first introduced in a new area or country it is advised to start with the rope pump as a family pump or as a pump for productive use (irrigation) for larger groups of farmers. If it works well, useage can be expanded to communal pumps, in cooperation with local or national governments. In all cases it is strongly recommended to use updated manuals combined with training by professional organisations.
