Asia

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Burma - China - Indonesia - Sri Lanka - Thailand
 

Burma
(see "Thailand" for related article) (top)

 

China
 Map of Southern China for instruction in hand water well drilling  Rice field irrigation in Southern China  Woman carrying water in buckets in Southern China  Fishing the water ways of Southern China  Appropriate technology water wheel in Southern China  Buying PVC for tube water well pump construction in Southern China
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In July, 2004, Hydromissions founders, Steve and Jennifer Lorch were given the great opportunity to return to China after an initial trip in 2001.  They met with local believers and trained them in the concepts and use of hand drilling systems and water ministry.  An EXP-50 demo unit was left behind for additional training purposes and replication by locals.  Several sites were identified for future water projects to be conducted by the local church as a way to reach more rural Chinese communities.

HydroLog:  07/17/04 - 07/30/04.  Location:  N 26˚ 26.560’, E 119˚ 16.451’, Elevation:  298 ft.  Pump demonstration given on banks of river.  This was a remote mountainous region, very rocky, and generally not suitable for drilling except near the river valley.  Location:  N 26˚ 04.905’, E 119˚ 16.211’, Elevation:  317 ft.  Drill demonstration and basic training in water technology given inside a city environment.  (top)

 

Indonesia
Map of Indonesia for training how to make biosand water filters and soap  Training how to make biosand water filters in rural Indonesia  Simple biosand water filter in rural Indonesia  Rice paddy irrigation systems in rural Indonesia  World missions - Teaching how to make soap in an Indonesian Muslim village
Gps satellite map for hand water well drilling, soap making and biosand filtration, Indonesia  Gps satellite map for hand water well drilling, soap making and biosand filtration, Indonesia
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In December, 2007, Hydromissions founders, Steve and Jennifer Lorch traveled to the island of Sulawesi to work with New Tribes Mission (NTM).  They met with local believers and trained them in water filtration methods and soap making.  This outreach spanned 3 distinct locations, over 5 sessions, and involved about 25 local and foreign missionaries.  An EXP-50 demo unit was left behind for additional training purposes and replication by locals, and we believe that unit to be headed to Papua.  One of the encouraging aspects were the simple biosand bucket filters that were already in use among the rural people (see pictures above).  We were also able to brainstorm ideas with locals for developing a bamboo/cotton/charcoal filter process.  A technological highlight for us was our introduction to the "tea test".  Some types of unpotable water turn black when a tea back is placed in contact with it.  We are attempting to investigate exactly what type of reaction is occurring so we can use this in other areas.

HydroLog:  11/29/07 - 12/13/07.  Location:  S 01˚ 01.625’, E 120˚ 26.474’, Elevation:  63 ft.  Water filtration and soap making demonstration given to roughly 20 local villagers.  This was a remote coastal region, with very shallow (6ft) water table and extremely turbid/dirty wells.  (top)

 

Sri Lanka
 Sri Lanka map for assessment of post tsunami disaster relief efforts  Sri Lanka coastal fishing after post tsunami disaster relief efforts  Water tank storage and clean drinking water distribution in Sri Lanka  Water well drilling site and hand pump, Sri Lanka  Hand water well drilling with post-tsunami disaster relief workers in Sri Lanka

Topographical map of disaster relief efforts in post-tsunami Sri Lanka  Topographical map of hand water well drilling in post-tsunami Sri Lanka  Topographical map of disaster relief efforts in post-tsunami Sri Lanka  Topographical map of hand water well drilling in post-tsunami Sri Lanka
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In December, 2005 - the one year anniversary of the tsunami - Hydromissions was invited to work with the ADF (Asian Disaster Foundation) to assess pre and post-tsunami water conditions.  The tidal waves hit the southern coast, causing much devastation, but also contaminating many wells with debris and salt water.  Based in Hikkaduwa, most of our work was conducted just east of Galle.  There is plenty of water in this area, but most villagers have shallow,  open cement wells that are very prone to contamination.  The other alternative is to collect water from the sporadically serviced community tanks (see picture below), which are definitely no guarantee of cleanliness.  God accomplished many things on this trip including installation of a well, training locals and foreign aid workers on simple drilling techniques, configuring a hand pump made entirely of local materials (this pump is expected be used along the entire tsunami stricken coast at a total cost of only $35 per well, start to finish).  There is still much work to be done, and the ADF plans to continue working their way along the south eastern coast.

 HydroLog:  12/14/05 - 12/25/05.  Location:  44N 0419740, UTM 0663404.  (6d 04' 00" N latitude / 80d 16' 29"  E longitude).  Elevation: 27 meters.   Village of Talpai, Pananduwa (slightly east of Galle).  Well is located in middle of bath house compound.  Former drinking water well (open cistern) located on other side of large hill.  Substrate consisted mostly of thick red clay.  No rock encountered although large boulders are found in this region.  Water struck at 12 feet, with drilling continuing through red clay to 20 feet, at which time the soil changed to a whitish, loamy material.  Drilling continued to 22.5 feet.  The well was cased with 3.5 inch pvc down to 22.5 feet, with a 3 foot screen.  No loss of depth or cave in was encountered.  Cased well showed a standing water column of 16 feet that could not be pumped dry by hand.  A concrete pad was poured, complete with drain pipe.  This is considered a "deep" well for this area (most are hand dug to 12 feet).  (top)

 

Thailand
water well drilling, Thailand, Burma drilling water wells by hand, Thailand, Burma water well drilling, Thailand, Burma drilling water wells by hand, Thailand, Burma water well drilling, Thailand, Burma drilling water wells by hand, Thailand, Burma
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February, 2008 (by Lon & Cheryl House):  We went to Thailand with LoveinActionAsia to provide clean water to Karen refugee camps, particularly those in Burma (also called Myanmar).   The Karen have been involved in the longest running civil war in modern history, over 60 years with the Burmese military.  There is a Karen refugee camp on the Thai/Burma border call Ea Tu Hta that has over 4,000 Karen people displaced by the Burmese Army.  Their only source of water is a jungle stream.  One out of four children do not live to age two due to diarrhea-type diseases.

The border with Burma was closed; due to the release of the new Rambo movie, the February 14th assassination in Thailand of a Karen leader, and a firefight on the Salween river between Burmese Army and Karen fighters with several casualties.  So we went to a Karen refugee camp on the Thai side (Ma La Mu) and contacted several Karen rangers to demonstrate the well drilling technology and well installation.  We decide to install a well outside of Ban Mae Sariang on a dry plot of land that they could use for a vegetable garden.  GPS coordinates of well are approximately N18.10'34", E97.56'30". 

This was a novel experience for these people.  There is so much surface water in the jungle that wells are virtually unknown, and there was initially a bit of skepticism about digging a hole and pumping water out of the ground by hand.

The auger drilling system worked well, especially once we got through the hard clay on the surface.  We hit water at about 9 feet deep. This was slow perking, so we continued to drill to about 20 feet in order to have enough of a reservoir.  We cased the well with 4" PVC pipe, installed 2" well input pipe with a foot (check) valve at the bottom, disinfected (using local bleach) and sealed the well, and installed the hand pump.

The Karen rangers instantly saw the utility of  clean water from a well instead of surface water, and the ability to locate homes and villages somewhere else than beside a stream (which makes it easy for the Burmese Army to find their villages).  Several of the Karen rangers stated that they wanted a well at their homes!

About on week after we returned, we received an email from one of the Karen ranger leaders, stating that they had drilled another well at Maetob village and it worked, providing clean water.  He was eager to take the drilling technology and pumps back into Burma as soon as the border opened up.  His last statement to me  - "You know I don't want to loose my drilling sets as it is very valuable for the health." (top)