The location of the water source in relation to the desired point of water use determines how the hydraulic ram pump will be installed. The length of drive pipe should be at least 5 times the vertical fall to ensure proper operation. The length of delivery pipe is not usually considered important because friction losses in the delivery pipe are normally small due to low flow rates. For very long delivery pipes or high flow rates, friction losses will have an impact on the performance of the hydraulic ram pump. The diameter of the delivery pipe should never be reduced below that recommended by the manufacturer.