Cistern Water Pumps

Cistern Water Pumps

If you have a cistern or another large rain-water catchment container, you should be able to use the trapped water, even if it is not potable. At least the water can be used to water the lawn, gardens, trees, or potted plants. The most primitive means of getting at the water would be lowering a bucket through and accessible opening at the top, and with an attached rope pulling it back up. However this is not always efficient since buckets lowered down tend to float on the surface of water (especially plastic ones), and therefore cannot get water into them easily.

So simple hand pumps were invented by civilization centuries ago, to solve the problem of getting water out of a cistern (or well). The most affordable and sustainable method still seems to be using a simple cast iron hand pump. By pulling up and down on the lever handle, a piston inside creates a vacuum in the pipe below. This action sucks water up from near the bottom of the pit, and out of the spout. Some pumping of the handle is usually needed before water can flow, to create the suction.

You can attach a hose to a spigot on an electric pump. The problem with an electric pump, is of course the need for electricity. If you need to pump large volumes of water out quickly without working hard, electric pumps are great.