An old tool helps with modern problems during emergencies

Summary

A local company is making hand water pumps to help people during emergencies.

Story Published: Oct 20, 2009 at 7:24 PM MDT

Story Updated: Oct 20, 2009 at 7:24 PM MDT

An old tool helps with modern problems during emergencies
RIVERSIDE - It's an old-fashioned tool, with a modern twist. The Parley Pump Company in Riverside is a fairly new business that helps people prepare for emergencies with their hand water pump.

"It's a way to access water in times of need or another time that you would need water," explains Max Barney.

It requires no electricity and there's no maintenance.

Anyone that has an existing and accessible well can have the pump installed for emergency or regular use. The company can access water as far as 250 to 300 feet down.

"Anybody that lives in Idaho should know that our power always goes out, especially in the winter. And the only way you can access water is if you have a hand pump or keep some kind of power source available," says Barney.

Max showed me how it worked in a demonstration, "

"This is the first design you guys put together, correct?"
"Correct."
"Why don't we demonstrate it here, obviously it's just like an old style pump basically."
"It's kinda self explanatory. Its important to note that this well and pump is at 70 feet. So you can see, it's pretty easy to pump, you wanna try it?"
"Sure. Yeah, it's not bad at all. Now all the fabrication and what not, who does all that?"
"we do that ourselves. We have a little machine shop. And we fabricate everything except for a couple parts, brass fittings and stuff that we buy"

The brass fittings also fit a regular hose which can be taken into a home. But if your home is in a city, this really doesn't affect you...but for those in a more rural area, it can help.

"A lot of our customer base thus far has been an older generation because they had these growing up, they saw the value and they haven't seen anyone that offered them"

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