Hippo water roller

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Left: conventional method of carrying water; Right: more water can be transported easily using the roller

The Hippo water roller, or Hippo roller, is a device for carrying water more easily and efficiently than traditional methods, particularly in the developing world. It consists of a barrel-shaped container which holds the water and can roll along the ground, and a handle attached to the axis of the barrel.

Its simplistic and effective nature makes it an example of appropriate technology.

1 Physical Description
2 Claimed Benefits
3 Administration
4 The African water supply problem
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Physical Description

The drum is made from UV stabilized polyethylene and is designed to cope with the rough surfaces found in rural areas. The drum's volume is 90 liters or approximately 24 gallons^[1]. It has a large opening (135 mm / 5.3 inch diameter) for easy filling and cleaning. The steel handle allows the roller to be pushed or pulled over difficult terrain.

[edit] Claimed Benefits

It is claimed that approximately five times the normal amount of water be collected in less time with far less effort than by the usual method of carrying.

Claimed benefits include:

time savings (fetching water can be very time consuming in some poor rural environments),
reduced effort,
reduced strain (carrying heavy weights on the head every day for years puts strain on the body, particularly the vertebral column)[1]
increased water availability, with benefits for health and perhaps even enabling vegetables to be grown,
hygienic storage due to the sealed lid on the roller.

[edit] Administration

Infotech, an information technology company, initially sponsored the project as a social responsibility project known as the Hippo Water Roller Trust Fund ^[2]. Currently, the project is supported financially by donor funding which comes from corporate businesses and non-profit organization partners such as Africa Foundation and Operation Hunger ^[3]. Since 1998, Imvubu Projects, a South African private company supplying poverty alleviation products (PAP) manufactures and supplies rollers^[4]. 'Water to the People' a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO), located in the United States of America, works specifically to raise funds for the Hippo Water Roller^[5].

[edit] The African water supply problem

Water (water supply) plays a pivotal role in society; it is critical for economic development; for human health and social welfare, especially for the poor; and for environmental sustainability ^[6]. In 2006, about 300 million people in Africa did not have access to clean water ^[7]. The population of Africa in 2008 is above 954,000,000 ^[8].