After talking to the locals we were on the fence about creating a well. The area is particularly hard to drill. Lots of rocks.
Then last week the government water stopped for two days. That was enough to change our minds about the necessity of a well.
The drilling of the well started a couple of days ago.
We've hit rocks at 3 meter as expected. After that the ground was softer for a while. Then rocks again at 6 meter.
The power generated by the diesel engine rotates the hollow pipe.
The system needs to be tuned frequently. The "driving" wheel actually controls the cable that applies pressure to the pipe. The softer the ground, the more pressure can be applied.
Water collected in the yellow tank is pumped into the rotating pipe and goes all the way down to the bottom of the well. It helps lubricate the material being drilled and cools the head of the drill.
All these elements will be added one by one to the top of the drill.
If too much pressure is applied to the pipe when a rocky area is encountered, the system can stall and get damaged.
Components of the system can break so constant attention by the crew of three is essential.
Specialists predict that this process will last one week to ten days. That's how long it will take to reach good-quality (i.e. safe to drink) water.
