Gilles Wendling of GW Solutions, Inc. sent me information about a human-powered drill rig developed by BYU engineering students.
Here is a test of the rig in Tanzania.
Here is more information via a news release from BYU.
Looks like the BYU rig might last for a while; only time will tell.
Kudos to the folks at BYU!
Despite what you may hear, manual well drilling methods have been used successfully for a number of years. The Terry Waller method (the so-called 'Baptist method') has been used by the SAIWI folks at UNR to teach those in developing regions how to drill and construct their own water wells. I know it has been used in Bolivia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nicaragua.
Here is a video of the Waller method.
Learn more about the Waller approach from his NGO.
"We have been persuaded to spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need to create impressions that won’t last on people we don’t care about.” - Tim Jackson (thanks to Terry Hollister Meyer and Jerry Sehlke)
Ever since my friend got into water well drilling, I've been curious to learn more about it. I've never done anything close to this in my life, so it's kind of foreign to me. I went to this site: http://www.blackdogdrilling.com/, what do you think?
Posted by: Liam Manning | Tuesday, 18 December 2012 at 10:51 AM
Gotta give it to those BYU people. This drill setup can literally save lives. Wonderful job and done for the right reasons for the people who need it most. Well done.
Posted by: Becky @ Drill Rigs | Tuesday, 30 October 2012 at 12:52 PM
I go to BYU and saw this whole project while it was being developed. That was awesome to see the well in action and help people get better access to water!
Posted by: water well drilling | Thursday, 23 August 2012 at 07:52 AM
It does help to be innovative and be an American at the same time.
Posted by: Sanders | Wednesday, 23 November 2011 at 06:03 AM
This kind of story is unusual but it is really fantastic that people really think about making new things to help the community work together. Have seen human power drill dig before but this is good headstart that people make new things.
Posted by: Water Treatment | Monday, 03 October 2011 at 07:04 AM
Awful information and facts i read here. Lots of thanks for sharing this! Keep up the good work!
Posted by: quality water treatment | Tuesday, 02 August 2011 at 04:10 AM
YES ... YES ... YES ... terrific "Yankee" ingenuity ... Thrilled to see such an endeavor ....
Posted by: PAUL F MILLER | Monday, 01 August 2011 at 08:27 AM
The untold story regarding this drilling equipment and drilling work is that it was fabricated by Boart Longyear in Salt Lake City, Utah with the selfless assistance of Dr. Tumaini Kimaro, Tanzanian Hydrological Engineer, who was killed in a road accident on Saturday 22rd January, 2011. RIP Tumaini, you were the best table tennis player at UNESCO, Villa La Colombella, Italy.
Posted by: Rainbow Water Coalition | Sunday, 31 July 2011 at 07:27 PM