Waterpump

A waterpump consists of a hand or machine operated piston that raises groundwater at a faster rate than the use of a well. The pump is constructed of a cylindrical barrel, a center-pipe made of wood, metal or masoned stone, a metal or wooden disc that is pulled upwards and dropped to facilite the movement of water and a physical handle for engaging the pump. This handle can be manipulated by an operator, who after thirty seconds of pumping can initiate a flow of water equal to a gallon every ten strokes; each stroke equals 1 action point.

When driven by a water mill, this equals 2½ gallons a minute. This is sufficient for many uses in a community, such as pouring enough water to feed many animals in a public trough; increasing the amount of local irrigated land; and the movement of water needed for fulling and other industries. Hand pumping permitting the lauderer to clean clothes in a tub rather than upon a river bank, since enough fresh water can be produced quickly to make this practical. Additional benefits abound.

As the driving screw on any mill can be adapted to drive a water pump in addition to its usual duties, hexes with sufficient hammers to indicate a waterpump should assume every established local mill is used for this purpose (though none are built specifically as water pumps).

Limitations

Though the amount of energy a water pump requires is minimal, the needfulness of using materials like wood and stone for a pump greatly increases the amount of necessary maintenance. Breaks and loss of water pressure is common.

Additionally, in drier parts, excessive demand on groundwater depletes availability at the source. Pumping water can therefore become too efficient, so that time must be given for the aquifer or other groundwater resource to replenish itself. Some places have such a low supply of groundwater than no more than 5 gallons can be produced in a single day, even if waterpumps exist.

Magic

While conceivably a spellcaster could create efficient metal water pipes from raw materials, the caster must have sufficient knowledge in hydraulics to do so.

See also,
Aqueduct
Cistern
The Adventure