I'm sure you've thought of this, but now that you're up and running, isn't it possible to buy/hire a pump, run it off the electricity from the already running generators, and pump it up from street level instead, instead of walking up stairs with buckets?
They probably (only) need a couple of gallons per hour.
If they can't tie into their existing fuel infrastructure, hauling it up the ~150 to 200 feet of stairs bit by bit is probably easier than trying to source and install something temporary.
It's very difficult to pump liquids up long distances. You can't suck liquids up more than 25 feet high, and while you can push it higher, you need a big pump and strong hoses/pipes, etc. Practically what you end up with is a series of smaller pumps. The water supply to tall buildings is a difficult bit of engineering on its own.
Anyway, the short answer is no, it's not at all easy to pump anything up 17 stories. You're talking about 8 or more pumps and appropriate hoses curling up the staircases, making them impassable... but people need those stairs.
