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Changemakers Forum:
Entry:Providing Potable Water for Un-Served Rural Communities in Niger
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Hi Jeff,
Here is a link to the "Hand Augered Wells Manual" that I wrote when I was with LWR. It provides more details on the technique and the tools. You will need to go to the bottom of the page from the link and click on the link next to "To read more about hand augered wells"
http://www.enterpriseworks.org/display.cfm?id=3&sub=20&cont=13
Cheers,
Jon
Thanks for your quick reply, Jon.
A couple of more questions then:
1. I am curious about the 10% or so of the pumps installed to date which have been self-funded by individuals. Are these local village heads, or wealthier members of villages making the investment for the good of their community? Are they purchasing the pumps as a household water supply source? I have always understood the rope pump to be a community well design, so i would be curious to learn whether you are finding some small demand from individual HHs.
2. Ok, so this is not a tripod-mounted auger system. How many people are required to operate the drill, then? Presumably this is a segmented auger with some kind of "T" or rotating handcrank that connects to the top segment?
many thanks,
jeff
Hi Jeff,
The rope pumps that have been purchased by individuals are often folks who already have an open cement lined well in their compound and have the means to purchase a pump. We are finding demand closer to the urban centers for individuals who are not yet connected to piped water but are likely salaried employees.
The well drilling teams are 5 people. there is a tee handle that can be mounted every meter along the drilling stem.
I am working on a video for posting that will show more details and we are scanning a manual that I will also provide a link for in the upcoming days.
Cheers,
Jon
Greetings Jon and/or Brook. This looks *very* interesting. Some questions:
1. Can you provide some more information on the driller and pump manufacturing enterprises you've been working with? Are they integrated enterprises? That is, are the well-drillers also manufacturing and/or installing rope pumps? Or are there separate drilling and pump manufacturing enterprises? Presumably the well drillers are also installing the rope pumps, whether or not they are employed by the pump manufacturers? Also, are these enterprises currently operating, and if so, for how long? How many wells have been contracted and how many pumps sold thus far? are there customers other than UNICEF? You make reference to 150 wells having been installed to date. Are these "sold" wells, or demonstration wells done for free?
2. I am curious to learn more about the prospective market. Do you anticipate NGOs and the gov't being the primarily customers, or do you envision villages pooling their resources or taking out loans to obtain a well and pump directly without NGO or government involvement?
3. What do you envision to be the costs of well installation? And of the rope pump?
4. Can you provide more information on the auger technology? Is this something comparable to a Vonder Rig?
many thanks for your responses and all the best
jeff
Hi Jeff,
I will try to brief answer your questions:
The drillers and pump manufacturers are independent enterprises. The pumps are either installed by an installer who works for the pump manufacturer and is also the local repair person for the pumps or by the well drillers.
The pump manufacturers are welding shops that have been in business for 10 years in one case and 20 years in the other case. There are 4 drilling enterprises and they have been drilling wells for irrigation for between 5 and 18 years but have been drilling drinking water wells only for the past 3-4 years.
The majority of the 150 wells installed to date have been paid for with donor funds sourced in some cases by EWV (in the case of UNICEF and World Bank) or directly by the well drillers themselves and about 10% have been self-funded by individuals. The donor funded wells include the cost of training for the enterprises.
The short term vision is that low cost drilling and rope pumps will lower the cost for NGO's and other donors but the medium term vision is that as a professional manual drilling sector emerges and competition and demand increase that villages will be able to pool resources and pay the cost of the wells and pumps themselves.
Well costs depend on a variety of factors including depth and drilling conditions as well as the remoteness of the location and the number of wells to be drilled. One of the biggest constraints for the well drillers is the cost of mobilizing equipment for a single well in a remote location.
The hand auger system as developed in Niger uses much lighter tools than the Vonder Rig, so they do not require a tripod and are easier to transport. The augers can be made locally for less than $200. The drilling method is similar in that the augers are filled and then raised to the surface to be emptied.