The WaterBuck Pump (patent pending), an innovative water solution, is the first of its kind, unlike any traditional hand pumps in existence. A high performance human-powered well pump so strong and efficient, it exceeds the lift and peak performance of a 12′-diameter windmill in gallons per minute. Depths far beyond what could even be considered possible with a hand pump are now reachable with the WaterBuck Pump.
UPDATE: This pump in northern California yields an incredible 2 gallons of water per stroke. Also, if needed for an emergency (like a fire), 54 – 56 gallons per minute can be pumped. We fitted the pump with a 6” diameter cylinder and 4” drop pipe, an unheard of application for a deep-well hand water pump.
It was conceived and designed out of necessity and built for long-term reliability and ease of operation. It is a human-powered, deep-well, water-pumping machine engineered and built to meet the demand.
The WaterBuck Pump is much more than a hand pump, it is a fresh water supply system for:
- the self-reliant
- developing countries
- long-term emergencies
- off-grid communities
- rural communities
- emergency shelters
- homesteaders
- large families
- farms and ranches
- campgrounds
Enjoy volumes of fresh water you can’t get from traditional hand pumps for:
- fresh drinking water
- bathing
- laundry
- cleaning
- irrigating gardens
- watering livestock
- capacity up to 55 gpm depending on depth, size of cylinder and muscle power
The WaterBuck Pump has the ability to:
- pump from shallow and deep wells
- pump water up hill from shallow or deep wells
- pressurize a tank for indoor plumbing
- irrigate a few acres of land from a shallow well
6′, 8′, and 10′ windmills cannot operate a 4″ pump cylinder from a static water level of 80′, but a grandmother can, using the WaterBuck Pump.
Before the electric pump was invented, wind and the mechanical advantage of a 12-foot windmill was needed to pump water from a deep well with a static water level of 80 feet operating a 4-inch pump cylinder.
But, now a physically active grandmother can easily do the same using the WaterBuck. No wind power, electricity, solar or other micro-grid technology is needed.
Using a simple combination of human shape, motion, weight and strength, volumes of water can be pumped from water wells. Depths far beyond what could even be considered are now possible with the WaterBuck Pump.
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The WaterBuck Pump has an enormous amount of mechanical advantage for a manual deep well pump.
The following results – a feat unprecedented in the common hand pump sector – are from pumping with an 80-foot static water level and with a 4-inch brass pump cylinder with 2-inch drop pipe.
- 64-year-old grandmother – 7 gpm (19 half strokes)
- Age 50s man – 17.5 gallons a minute (20 strokes)
- Young man – 22 gallons a minute (25 strokes)
- 2 young women – 55 gallons in 5 minutes and 40 seconds
- 2 young men – 55 gallons in 3 minutes and 42 seconds with 64 cycles of the pump lever.
22 Gallons in one minute
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With the non-electric shallow and deep well WaterBuck Pump and a pressure tank, anyone can water a garden easily with a hose and sprayer. Watch video here.
What is the maximum depth and capacity of the WaterBuck Pump?
The WaterBuck Pump is currently and efficiently operating in the range of 12’ – 14’ diameter windmills, therefore we now anticipate reaching depths around 700’. Please see “Depth and Capacity of the WaterBuck”
How do common deep-well hand pumps compare to the WaterBuck Pump?
Traditional hand pumps cannot compare to the WaterBuck Pump. The output per stroke of conventional pumps is measured in ounces. The stroke of our pump, so far, is measured in quarts and ounces with a maximum of 3 quarts and 15 ounces in one stroke. In an application with a 6″ cylinder, the stroke is measured in gallons and quarts.
We have a video of a 64-year-old grandmother pumping 7 gallons a minute from a deep well using the WaterBuck Pump. She pumped that much water with only 19 half-strokes of the handle and it was easy for her. To get the same yield of 7 gallons from a commercial deep well hand pump with the same application, a fit, tall, strong man weighing around 200 pounds would have to pump the lever 140 times. I doubt he could even get to 60 strokes and yield 3 gpm before he became exhausted.
What type of pump cylinders and sucker rod come with the WaterBuck Pump?
Have the water you need when you need it. The WaterBuck Pump.
Our innovative hand pump machine operates the same reciprocating pump cylinders made for windmills, with cylinder sizes up to 8 inches.
For more than 100 years the windmill industry has had great success pumping water with brass water well cylinders made by Midland Manufacturing Company. We are proud and pleased to offer these high-quality windmill cylinders and stuffing boxes with the WaterBuck Pump.
Strong sucker rod is needed to withstand the torque created by the WaterBuck, so we use the same high-quality ¾” fiberglass sucker rod with rod guides successfully used with 12’ to 16’ windmills.
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Can the WaterBuck pressurize a pressure tank?
With the non-electric shallow and deep well WaterBuck Pump and a pressure tank, anyone can have water in their home as they do with an electric water pump. The WaterBuck uses a closed system with the pump system. With the use of a stuffing box and check valve, water can be pumped into a pressure tank for household use or into an overhead storage tank for a gravity flow system. We also have made a “unique” frost proof improvement to the pump. Please see freeze-proofing
The machine’s design efficiently uses human shape, motion, weight and strength, which makes it easy to use, thereby yielding more water. It’s easy enough for a grandmother to get her water needs for the day even from deep wells. With two operators pumping in tandem, more water can be retrieved easily.
The machine has an adjustable pump lever from 4′ to 5′ for more leverage and a 42″ pump handle to accommodate two users. For deep well applications, the machine has a counterweight system to off-set the weight of the sucker rod. Counterweights can be used with the pump handle to make pumping easier.
Can the WaterBuck be used with an existing submersible pump?
With the right conditions, size of pump cylinder and well casing, the WaterBuck Pump can work in tandem with existing submersible pumps. If the conditions are not favorable, a specially-made electric submersible pump used by the windmill industry can be mounted on the bottom of the manual pump cylinder, pictured at right. A booster or jet pump at the surface can supply pressure for indoor plumbing.
Please see here for more info.
Is the WaterBuck robust, dependable, built to last and warrantied?
The WaterBuck is a very heavy duty commercial grade water well pumping machine. It has to be to overcome the force required to pump volumes of water from shallow and deep wells under human power. The mechanical parts designed are for industrial applications. The machine is 76″ tall and weighs 415 pounds without a counterweight system. The pump head comes with a 5-year warranty, and requires just simple and easy maintenance. So dependable, the WaterBuck Pump is built to last for decades, made to be handed down to the next generation.
The capacity of the WaterBuck Pump varies by application. Not all results will be the same. Water yield is determine by static water level, size of cylinder, length of stroke and cycles per minute.
Click here for a sample price of the WaterBuck Pump and get a price quote.
.Why is the pump named for an antelope?
As the name indicates, the waterbuck inhabits areas close to water in savanna grasslands, gallery forests and riverine woodlands of the African Sahara. The waterbuck is more water-dependent than domestic cattle and must remain close to a water source. This is a large, robust antelope. Bulls have a shoulder height of 50 inches and can weigh up to 500 pounds.
Only the bulls have long, forward curved horns, which can reach 40 inches. This is also a gregarious antelope. Dominant bulls occupy territories which they defend by aggressive posturing and even fights. They are strong swimmers and when seriously threatened, will take refuge in deep water..
.Well bucket, waterboy well bucket
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.With the WaterBuck Pump you can have the water you need when you need it!
See our story in Mother Earth News
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