The hand-operated well was installed in front of the local school, the local gathering place in the community.
Rudy had some concerns about not seeing any soapstone or pumice rock in the samples we were collecting. This type of porous rock indi- cates a depth where water can be present and flows through the rock, filtering it. When we returned on day three after having reamed the hole to 7 inches, we discovered the last 10 feet had collapsed. This was unfortunate, but common given the surrounding pressure on the hole’s walls, even with the bentonite to stabilize the dirt. In total, we drilled 320 feet while changing the bit twice. On day three, we drove the 4-inch casing pipe and well screen into the hole to a depth of 120 feet and proceeded with flushing the well. This was done by sealing off the well casing pipe with a cap, tapped with a smaller hole to accommodate a 2-inch air hose that was inserted to the depth of the screen piping. The casing was then pressurized to force the dirty water and bentonite from the drill process out of the rock formation around the screen piping at the bottom of the well. Bleach was added during this time to sanitize the well. The process took about eight hours. There was a lot of standing around during this time, but it gave us some good time to rest and to connect and get to know the locals who helped us with the project.
On day four, we installed the 2-inch suction line in the casing and built the well pump and surrounding concrete pad. The well pump had a basic and rugged design and was built as a hand-level operated style pump, made of welded stainless with an internal rod and plunger. They were designed to withstand the elements. On day five, we returned one last time for a dedication ceremony. The well was dedicated to the people there, and graciously received by all. It was a big event for that community, maybe the biggest in many of the locals’ lives. We were touched by how incredibly thankful they were. To be a part of something so important to life, yet so taken for granted in other corners of the world, was an amazing experience.
SAMUEL A. LEPORE is a project coordinator at Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN; www.lan-inc.com), a planning, engineering, and program manage- ment firm. He can be reached at salepore@lan-inc.com.
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csengineermag.com
august 2018
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