Project Status



Project Type:  Borehole Well and Hand Pump

Program: Wells for Burkina Faso

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase: 
Under Community Care
Initial Installation: Jul 2013

Project Features


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Community Profile

When the team arrived, 1,000 people in the community and in surrounding areas had been gathering water from an open hand-dug well to sustain their growing water needs. Because of this, families from Mebar Mebar II Community were suffering from diarrhea and severe dehydration among many preventable water-related illnesses. That certainly confirmed the importance of this borehole repair!

Community member and farmer Takiebzie Dabire told us that the borehole was breaking down a lot. The team made the necessary repairs, this time replacing all PVC piping with stainless steel pipes. This was all connected to the India Mark II pump.

During the well rehabilitation, the team made repairs to/replaced the: pump head, pump handle, pump rods, pump reservoir, riser main and drop pipe, cylinder and chain. The borehole is 100 meters deep with a static water level of four meters.

Not only did the team restore clean water to Mebar Mebar II, but they also brought important information on hygiene and sanitation. They taught about hand-washing, how to properly transport and store water, disease transmission and prevention, how to maintain proper care of the pump, as well as signs and symptoms of dehydration and how to make an Oral Rehydration Solution. All of these lessons were taught in a participatory method to help community members discover ways to improve their hygiene and sanitation choices and implement community-driven solutions.

During the team’s stay, community members assembled a Water Committee who assisted the team with the water project whenever possible and who are responsible for maintaining the well after the team leaves the area.

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Project Photos


Project Type

Abundant water is often right under our feet! Beneath the Earth’s surface, rivers called aquifers flow through layers of sediment and rock, providing a constant supply of safe water. For borehole wells, we drill deep into the earth, allowing us to access this water which is naturally filtered and protected from sources of contamination at the surface level. First, we decide where to drill by surveying the area and determining where aquifers are likely to sit. To reach the underground water, our drill rigs plunge through meters (sometimes even hundreds of meters!) of soil, silt, rock, and more. Once the drill finds water, we build a well platform and attach a hand pump. If all goes as planned, the community is left with a safe, closed water source providing around five gallons of water per minute! Learn more here!


Contributors

Yakima Foursquare Church