HAND-DRILLED WELL

We visited the hand-drilled site with the Moons. A hollow pipe is fitted with a homemade bit. Water is pumped from a reservoir through the pipe and bit as the drill is thrust into the sand and turned a quarter turn to loosen the sand. The water blows the loose sand up and into a catchment sluice, and the water recycles. As the drill descends lengths of drill pipe are added.

Preparing to add drill pipe.

A pit lined with a plastic tarp serves to forms the reservoir. One night the local inhabitants came and emptied the pit because it was easier to get the water there than hike to the normal source. The workers had to refill the pit by carrying water, a lot of water.

The drill passes through a guide plate on the ground. Workers loosen the joint and cross bar for adding more pipe.

Tightening the added pipe.

Re-attaching the water supply.

Water hose almost attached.

The plastic well liner is perforated with thin slits, covered by a nylon filter fabric, which is taped in place before being introduced into the well shaft. Then a filter grade coarse sand is poured down the well shaft to anchor the tube and filter out sand. The long tip of the tube consists of about a meter of concrete filled pipe.

We visited this nearly finished well awaiting pump installation. The wells are placed on private property by permission of the landowner. Many refused unless they were paid. Now that the wells are going in and they see the benefit, everyone wants a well, but too late.

A spillway draws overflow into a covered sump.

In this yard firewood bundles were available for sale. It is shipped in from far away in the forest.

The property owner where a well was constructed. The smallest bundles of wood to the left sell for about half a dollar.

Guess the critter...no, not a goat. Plastic in the diet anyone?

Fish for lunch anyone? That's how 90% of the cooking is done in the Congo.

Game room for neighborhood kids. Boys watching a soccer match on three small TV screens.

Mama shredding a leaf gathered from a vine called Kikalakasa. It is reputed to be high in nutrients. The pile at right is the shredded leaves. She holds a large hook knife that she uses to cut thin slices from the end of a bundle of leaves. It is cooked in peanut sauce with fish, a local culinary delight.

Another Mama bundling leaves for sale.

Well fitted with a pump that the local boys seem to enjoy pumping, for how long though?

Home made drill bit. The hole ends up around 80 cm in diameter. The water flowing to he surface deposits clay on the walls of the hole preventing collapse.

Store room for drilling equipment and supplies.

Dried Caterpillars for sale in the market.

It takes a lot of force to loosen the pipe when withdrawing it. Pipe wrenches hold onto pipe, because if it were dropped down the shaft to the bottom at 21 m it would be impossible to retrieve and another shaft would have to be drilled.

Removing length of drill pipe.

First length of well liner taped and ready to insert into the well shaft.

Removing the last length of drill pipe and the guide plate.

Laying drill pipe aside. Pousse-pousse in foreground used to transport equipment and gravel.

Worker seated over the shaft awaiting the first length of well liner.

Ready to insert the well liner.

The first section descends. The worker clamps onto to it with hands and knees to prevent it falling to the bottom as additional sections are added.

Screwing on more sections.

Readying the additional sections. The sand piled up to the right was extracted from the well shaft. It is examined frequently. When it is of the finest grit, the engineer knows that the aquifer has been reached.

Water is pumped down the tube to clear it of sand.

The pumped water flows freely from the liner pipe.

Pouring bags of filter material down the shaft to surround the liner at the bottom.

One of the worker's wife died. He could not afford to keep the children. They were adopted by a family in Idaho who had sent him pictures. He was very pleased about their situation in the US. He just remarried.

This the is the young father whose children are in Idaho.

They call this tree Pomme Rouge, Red Apple. It was flowering.

Proofing the well. An electric pump on the end of a hollow pipe is inserted to the bottom and a 90 degree length added. The pump is turned on to clean out the remaining sand from the well liner. When it runs clear the flow rate can be estimated. Probably about 20 seconds for five liters.

Well water being pumped into the reservoir. The pit will be filled in before the well is completed.

Trying out the Pousse-Pousse.

Elder Moon and Adrien, the NGO director who contracts to drill wells all over the region, and abroad into adjoining countries. He is a counselor in a stake presidency.

The well drilling crew. A contractor for the well is seated in the chair, another on Elder Moons left as viewed. The others are employees.

Clear water.

One of the site engineers with the Moons.

Congratulations all around.