HAND DUG WELLS
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The photo illustrates the use of a temporary support system for safe digging in open wells. Steel rings, wedges and timber boards ensure the safety of workers at any depth. In this case, support was only required for the first 4 metres. The picture shows the result of 4 weeks of labour. Having found good water at 15 metres, a variety of well completion options are available. These include brick lining or precast concrete rings, in situ concrete, shaped blocks, clay tiles or a plastic borehole casing. Whichever method is used, the boards and rings are withdrawn as work progresses, for use in further wells, without waste or loss. The rings and boards are easily handled by one person. No lifting gear is required. The following link is to a PDF file on hand dug wells using this technique. Hand Dug Wells (1.25 mb) |
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CABLE PERCUSSION (Shell & Auger) DRILLING
A well at the site pictured above in Togo could have been drilled to depth in a
single day by two men using the light cable percussion drilling machine shown right.
It requires no water for the process, has only one small diesel engine, and will
drill 20 metres per day in any material in which it would be practical to hand dig.
The best that can be expected of hand digging using pick-and-shovel methods is a
metre per day.
The single day's drilling would have demonstrated (1) that there was good water from 15
metres depth, (2) that there was at least enough to supply a hand pump, and (3) that the
quality was good, (4) that there were no boulders. A decision could then have been made to either case the hole
as a borehole, for use with a hand pump, or to hand dig an open well for use with
buckets. Whichever option was chosen the project would be confident that it would
be successful in all respects, and would know the exact extent of work required.
No other drilling method provides all this information before the hole has been
fully cased and pumped out.
Full details of the drilling rig are under the following link:
FORAGER-55/1250 DRILLING RIG
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HAND PUMP
Details of the pump can be found at this link: http://www.consallen.com/handpumps/
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Home: http://www.consallen.com
Consallen Group Sales Ltd., P.O. Box 2993, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10
0ZB, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44-(0)1787-247770; e-mail: sales@consallen.com


