In the late 1970s, University of Waterloo professors Alan Plumtree and Alfred Rudin were approached by the International Development Research Centre with a problem. IDRC was trying to help deliver clean water to villages in developing countries, but modern water pumps were not ideal.
Taking inspiration from their Mennonite neighbours, Plumtree and Rudin made a pump that was both simple and versatile. Their innovative thinking has helped people all over the world secure a source of clean drinking water.
![Alan Plumtree and Alfred Rudin. Photo Courtesy of the Kitchener-Waterloo Record Photographic Negatives Collection, University of Waterloo](http://images.ctfassets.net/9t4dx2i33x46/3ElyzMLGSmD4bu5e2yLt0f/97c469552bbcfd2184be9840919b9f1b/Alan_Plumtree_and_Alfred_Rudin.png?w=1000)