Durapipe helps provide clean water for Madagascar

Durapipe UK is assisting BushProof, a humanitarian enterprise, with a project to construct low-maintenance hand pumps.

Durapipe UK is assisting BushProof, a humanitarian enterprise providing innovative products and services for people living in low-income countries, with a project to construct low-maintenance hand pumps.

The low-maintenance hand pumps will be constructed using Durapipe ABS and PVC-u pipework and will provide clean water to rural and coastal areas in Madagascar.

Currently, only 14% of people living in rural areas have access to safe drinking water and this percentage drops to zero in many isolated villages, resulting in high levels of water-borne disease and child mortality.

The simple and unique design of the hand pump means that it requires no maintenance, even when used intensively, and spare part production and repair work can be carried out by the local villagers, without the need for outside assistance.

The pump is unlike most other hand pumps because instead of a piston valve moving inside a cylinder, it simply uses one plastic pipe inside another to lift water from at least ten metres.

The hand pumps will be constructed by Bushproof, in a specially designed workshop in Madagascar.

Durapipe UK arranged for a container, holding the pipework, along with additional products required for the project, to be shipped over to Madagascar so that a workshop could be set up.

Commenting on the project, Martyn Rowlands, Head of Marketing for Durapipe UK said: " We are delighted that BushProof approached us to get involved with the project and has given us the opportunity to play our part in such a good cause".

"Once the workshop is set up in Madagascar we are looking forward to going over and observing how our pipework is being used in the construction of the pumps and hopefully giving them a helping hand".

Eric Fewster, Technical Director for BushProof added: "We approached several manufacturers when we were looking for pipework for this project and we found the Durapipe products to be of a very high standard and the company was extremely keen to get involved, which was important to us".

"Durapipe UK has also previously supplied similar products to SWS filtration, who is the consultant on this project and due to the successful results we made the decision to work with the same company".

"We are hoping that this is the beginning of an on-going partnership with Durapipe UK and it will continue to support future projects".

The project is looking to initially produce 150 hand pumps in the Madagascar workshop by March 2006 and aims to provide 15,000 villagers with access to safe drinking water, with the potential of scaling it up to reach one million people in Madagascar's coastal areas.

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