|
Lack of clean drinking water is a major problem in developing countries.
Water-borne diseases are rampant in economically depressed rural areas
because clean running water (typically provided by the municipalities),
is simply not available. The only alternative is to install hand pumps
or deep wells (drilled wells) to draw clean water from the ground
depending on the depth of water table. The depth of the potable water
table varies from 20 to 3000 feet (~ 6 to 910 meters) depending on the
region and local topography. Hand pumps are normally installed for
obtaining water at the maximum depth of 130 feet (~ 40 meters). Over
130 feet deep wells (drilled wells) are installed with pumps which can
go deeper than 3,000 feet (910 m).
Water Hand Pump
Until recent centuries, all artificial wells were pumpless dug wells
which were excavated with diameters large enough to accommodate men with
shovels digging down to below the water table. Such wells were at times
lined with stones or bricks; extending this lining into a wall around
the well to reduce both contamination and injuries by falling into the
well. Modern dug wells are hand pumped.
While the cost of drilling is directly proportional to the depth where
water can be pumped from, the average cost of installing a hand pump,
along with maintenance of the hand pump for 5 years is approximately
$200.
Deep Well (Drilled Wells)
Deep Wells (Drilled wells) can get water from a much deeper level by
mechanical drilling. Drilled wells with electric pumps are currently
used throughout the world, typically in rural or sparsely populated
areas. Most shallow well drilling machines are mounted on large trucks,
or trailers. Such wells typically range from 20 to 600 feet (6 to 180
meter), but in some areas can go deeper than 3,000 feet (910 meter).
Roughly deep wells over 600 feet (180 meters) with purification plant
costs approx. $30,000 and up. Currently, Hidaya is working to provide a
deep well in the Shahdad Kot district in Pakistan. For more information
on the Qambar-Shahdad Kot Water Project, click here .
|
Programs 
