The Business of Clean Water
Using water-well drilling to provide job opportunities and
stimulate economies at the village level.
There is a large part of the world where water scarcity exists, not because of a physical lack of
water, but because the people living there do not have the means or the money to access the water
that is directly beneath them. Traditional mechanically drilled boreholes cost approximately $10,000
per well. However, Water4 has developed a manual drilling technique that makes water wells accessible for as little as 1/10 the cost of mechanically drilled boreholes.
There are many countries, particularly on the African continent, that have not had a chance to
develop intermediate drilling technologies and drilling businesses. Communities have become reliant
on million-dollar technology brought in from the West. Rather than perpetuating this cycle of dependency, the African people need the opportunity to drill water wells as a business. They need to be able
to operate water well drilling businesses locally, with inexpensive equipment, keeping the solution at
the village level.
2405 NW 10th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73107 [email protected]
Rather than taking expensive, sophisticated machinery into the most remote areas of the world,
Water4 has developed a highly effective manual drilling system, capable of reaching the previously unreachable. By using easily transferable technology, Water4’s method is both affordable and replicable.
Water4 is able to show communities that access to clean water is within their control by training, equipping and supporting nationals, thus creating independence rather than reliance on outside aid.
Using proven, centuries-old technology, Water4 is able to drill wells for between 1/10 and 2/5 the
cost of mechanically drilled wells. $5,000 USD can purchase one drill kit capable of drilling up to 50
wells. In many places where economic scarcity is the only barrier to accessing clean water, this method
may be the best available solution. The mobility, in addition to the low-cost of the Water4 method, ensures that the most remote rural areas can be reached.
Water4 relies on partnerships with existing organizations that have an established presence in
the regions where we work. Working with partners like World Vision helps create accountability for local drill teams, thus giving nationals a greater chance for success in their pursuit of water well drilling as
a business endeavor.
Manual Drilling Method
The hand drilling procedure employed by Water4 uses a systematic combination of two proven drilling methods, auger and cable tool,
which have been scaled for human power. This technique combines the primary strengths of each method while remaining affordable and transferable. The use of a tripod and winch adds tremendous mechanical advantage, providing a 7 to 1 advantage that can
be doubled by adding a pulley. The mechanical advantage of the tripod system allows for fewer people to be on the crew, promoting a
viable business model. There are many benefits to manual drilling as opposed to mechanical drill rigs. Manual drilling offers increased
mobility, lower initial investment and potential for replication over a wide geographic area. In fact, with manual drilling, potential sites
can be tested with virtually no drilling cost. These benefits ensure that the most vulnerable, remote, rural communities are reached.
As wells are drilled, geological information is gathered in order to refine tool selection and increase efficiency. Specific tools have been
designed for each layer that is likely to be encountered during drilling. No added water, drilling mud, or chemicals are needed for boring with an auger, making it easily replicable and ideal for remote locations. This method is capable of completing the drilling phase
up to 20 meters under favorable conditions, or proceeds until the process encounters a more consolidated formation, or a refusal zone.
At the point the auger encounters refusal, the geological evidence is considered, and the next recommended tool is selected for drilling
efforts to resume.
In addition to various sizes of augers, the drill kit includes a bailer for removing cuttings and heavy sediment from below the water line,
stubbers for coring through dry clay, and a variety of chisels and rock-breaking tools to advance through difficult consolidated zones.
Water4 trains the local drill teams to complete wells in accordance with the highest industry practices. Four inch plastic casing with a
slotted screen portion is used with the annular space filled with a coarse sand filter pack to ensure maximum longevity and productivity
of the well.
Drilling Tool Selection Chart
Maintenance problems present a serious
consolidated
unconsolidated
water-bearing
obstacles to the sustainability of water
Below
Tool
Hard-pack Fractured
efforts in rural communities. In addiWater Line Collapsing
Selection:
Soil
Sand
Rock
Clay
Clay
Rock
tion to the sustainability of the methods
with
6” Auger
Bailer
employed by Water4, there has also been
with
5” Auger
success in taking over boreholes that sit
6” PVC
idle because of maintenance problems.
4” Auger
The tripod system has proven effective
with
with
Bailer
in the removal of heavy, broken pumps,
6” Auger
6” PVC
which are then easily replaced by Access
Stubber Set
1.2 Hand Pumps. Also, unprotected, open
wells can be sanitized and capped for pro- Chisel Set
tection, with an Access 1.2 Hand Pump
Rock Bit
installed for easy access to a protected
= Recommended Tool
= Possible Application
Blank = Not Appropriate
water source.
water4.org
Our Method
Water4 uses inexpensive materials and easily-transferrable
technology in an effort to make access to clean water realistic for
even the most remote areas. Water4 targets specific regions and,
through the help of in-country partners, remains in that region until
the water problem is resolved. Water4 is dedicated to empowering
communities by training, equipping and supporting nationals to be
the solution to their own community’s water needs.
Training
Our primary focus is on the transfer of technology. In every
area we visit, Water4 collaborates with our in-country partners to
qualify members of the community with the aptitude to be trained
as part of a locally-managed drill team. Team members are taught
how to use each tool in a drill kit, how to log the geographic layers as they drill, how to develop a well, install an Access 1.2 Hand
Pump, and cap a well to protect the water source. Groups are also
trained how to repair other types of pumps and rehabilitate existing
wells where the pumps have broken down. In addition to hands-on
training, Water4 distributes a state-of-the-art training video detailing every step of the well drilling and pump installation process.
Equipping
Water4 physically equips groups with drill kits and hand
pumps, which remain in their possession, so they are able to continue drilling after we leave. By equipping teams with the training
and tools necessary to drill wells, we are empowering them with the
skills and equipment to start and operate businesses.
This is a sustainable business model, because it puts the
solution in the hands of the people who need it, rather than perpetuating dependency on outside assistance. This is the first step in
solving the water problem: giving nationals business opportunities
in intermediate drilling technology which could then provide a stepping stone for advancement as improved technology becomes available to them.
water4.org
Access 1.2 Hand Pump
Water4 developed a pump that can be
sourced and manufactured in practically any country. Named for the 1.2
billion people* who lack appropriate
access to potable water, the Access 1.2
Hand Pump is a simple, low-cost PVC
pump created for durable use and to
be virtually maintenance free. The
pump is designed to utilize standard
PVC pipe fittings in its construction,
and traditional wear components have
been avoided by the introduction of a
proximity seal, which replaces O-rings
or leathers. The seal isolates a chamber located below the water line while
allowing an internal plunger to enter
and exit, producing positive and negative pressure. A hollow pump rod then
conveys water to the surface through a
continuous connection of PVC tubes,
which transition to galvanized steel
pipes at the surface.
Once the pump rod is pulled up at the
surface by the T-handle, water quickly
invades the pressure chamber of the
pump through the bottom one-way
valve. As the pump rod is pushed down,
the plunger invades the chamber, and
the proximity seal creates resistance
to the increasing pressure. This forces
the water through an internal one-way
valve and up the hollow pump rod to
the surface, then through the spout
located on the T-handle direct drive system. The low maintenance requirements
make this pump ideal for rural areas
and this system can be adapted with a
leverage handle where needed.
The Access 1.2 has been tested up to 3.2
million strokes without failure and is
also highly effective in well rehabilitation by quickly and easily replacing
broken or defective pumps in existing
wells. By making use of the availability
and durability of plastics, the Access 1.2
is able to remain affordable, reliable and
locally viable.
*When the pump was invented, an
estimated 1.2 billion people were without
access to clean water. Since that time, the
number has decreased to approximately
884 million people according to the
World Health Organization.
Supporting
In addition to equipping nationals with the training and tools necessary to be successful in
their well-drilling endeavors, Water4 offers continued support to groups of nationals who choose to
pursue well drilling and pump installation as their vocation. We do this through our partnership with
organizations like World Vision.
By utilizing partnerships with organizations that are already on the ground in the regions
where we work, Water4 is able to maintain communication with teams of nationals to assist in troubleshooting, or keep them updated on best practices and new equipment. Our in-country partners are
vital to the work of Water4 because they provide accountability to the local drill team as well as providing us with accurate accounts of progress being made in a particular region.
It is the goal of Water4 that trained teams of nationals will adopt our system as their own
and drill multiple wells in their community for the eventual eradication of water problems region by
region. By drilling and maintaining a well for themselves, nationals feel a greater sense of ownership
over a well. When there is no contribution or ownership of a well, the well will not be maintained and
will likely be put out of service.
In addition to drilling wells and installing pumps, Water4 aims to set groups up, with the assistance of in-country partners, to manufacture their own tools and pumps for sale and distribution
within their own country.
Conclusion
Water4 uses water well drilling to provide
people with job opportunities that can help them
escape the cyclical trap of poverty. Rather than
drilling a well for a community, Water4 trains locals how to drill their own wells, equips them with
the tools to do so, and then supports them in their
continued business endeavors. By placing the solution in the hands of the people who need it, Water4
is empowering communities to be independent,
rather than reliant on outside aid.
water4.org