The creation of a well
For every well, people from the Department of Water Development are present to ensure that wise choices are made and that the village acts according to govern- ment guidelines.
The drilling is concentrated to two periods a year. The chosen contractor has two drilling rigs. Both with compressors that are more than 15 years old. “The new compressors are far too automated and computerised, and are very difficult to repair ourselves in the field”, says the site manager.
The drilling
The villagers must make sure that the contractor’s vehicles have access to the site. It is a big day when the contractor arrives, and the village is filled with dance and song. The children want to see the work first hand. The drilling team get to work immediately.
The team pitch their tents next to the drill site. The village provides food and water. The team work hard. They would like to finish the job as soon as possible. But most important is the quality of the work. It is vital that the job is well-done and the result long-term.
The day after drilling
Before the drilling team wrap up, they test pump the hole for four hours and document how much the water level in the borehole drops. They also measure how long it takes for the water to return to its original level. There are set requirements for drilling to meet approval. The drilling team marks out the spot for the civil works team, who will come later. This team is responsible for the installation of the pump and the con- struction of the platform.
The pump is installed
The civil works team assembles the pump first, so they can get water to make concrete from a mixture of locally gathered gravel and sand as well as cement they have bought for the platform. Bricks are usually laid out on the ground to get some height. It is important that the concrete mixture is correct to get high quality.
The same type of hand pump is used in the whole district, so it is easy to get hold of spare parts.
If a borehole needs to be rehabilitated and does not need re-drilling, then no drilling contractor needs to be engaged. Instead it is the Department of Water Development that is responsible for the work needed.
