Drinking Water

Think of the two things you need every day to survive.

Was air and water on that list?

Here is what some people have had to use for their water source. They walk from their home, often up to a mile away, to fill a 5 gallon (20 liter) plastic can with this brackish swamp water for their cooking, drinking, cleaning. Not a pretty thought.

Below are some of the photos of the men from Streams of Life making a well to supply clean drinking water to an area with 30 families. The two day project cost about $600 and will last for years if the people learn to take care of the simple machinery and don't contaminate the land around the well.
The test hole was dug 3 times with the hand auger before finding the one with a good refill rate. Photos on my earlier blog showed the drilling process for that step.

Once the hole is dug, the water refill rate is checked by dropping in a sleeve like cylinder with a closeable bottom flap. This is used to pull the water out and then the well is timed to see how long before it comes back in again.

Once the well location is selected the hole is enlarged to 6" diameter, which accommodates the 4" perforated pipes (see the earlier blog).

Once the pipes are in place coarse sand is poured into the space between the pipe and soil to act as a biofilter for the water seeping into the pipes.

With the 4" pipe firmly in place the pieces of the actual pump housing are added.

Around the housing are placed bricks which are part of the solid base of the pump

More bricks are added to outline the platform and the drainage trench

Cement is used to fill around the pump housing, between the bricks, tamped down to make a solid base.

When all is firmly in placed the smaller water pipes connected to the pump are threaded together in inserted into the middle of the 4" pipe.

The top part of the pump housing with the handle is added and fixed to the smaller pipe that reaches to the bottom of the well, minus 1/2" for clearance.

With the pump mechanism fully in place the final finish work on the well platform and surround is completed.

Instruction to the people is given in how to use the pump and to take care of it. A few pumps of water are used to demonstrate, but the people will have to wait a few days for it all to set up and dry properly before coming for their new water.