What type of machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to draw water from wells?

Leonardo da Vinci designed versions of the Archimedes’ screw to draw or raise water.

An Archimedes’ screw is a helical surface inside a tube or trough. When the screw rotates, water trapped between its turns moves upward. Leonardo studied and redesigned screw-based water machines for practical hydraulic work, including lifting water and moving it through canals or other systems.

The machine was not Leonardo’s original invention. It is traditionally attributed to Archimedes, who lived in the third century BCE. Leonardo’s contribution was to examine, illustrate, and adapt established hydraulic principles with the detailed mechanical approach visible throughout his notebooks.

The screw should not be confused with a water turbine. A turbine uses moving water to produce rotation, whereas an Archimedes’ screw uses rotation to move water. Modern versions remain useful for low-head pumping, wastewater treatment, and fish-friendly water lifting.