This started out just as a suggestion to allow vertical pumping of fluids as an alternative to fps-destroying pump stacks when I realized that medieval-type screw pumps weren't really designed for that. A quick search through wikipedia and I found
gear pumps, which seem both suitably dwarven and appropriate for the technology level.
The suggestion is to have two kinds of pumps:
Screw Pump - Same as usual, though possibly only allowing for manual hand operation.
Gear Pump - Must be connected to a power source (no hand operation) and can generate pressure above it's z-level depending on the level of power it is set to consume. To set the power, [q] over and give the order to change it and a mechanic will come along to modify the power consumption.
The gear pump would be able to pump liquid up a z-level for every 10 power. So a pump set to 50 power could pump water or magma up 5 z-levels like so:
# #
# #
#~# <- Goes up to z5
#~#
#~#
#~######
#~~~%% # <- Gear Pump on z1 consuming 50 power
######~~
This is separate from and doesn't conflict with anything having to do with pipes, which would be more for controlling the flow of liquids whereas pumps simply generate pressure.
This would be a much easier, simpler and more realistic way of pumping up water and magma from the caverns without building a massive tower of
these. And in case that sounds undwarfy, there's also the added hazard of not only flooding your fortress from above, but now from below!