Products

Hydromissions International - Water for the Thirsty in Jesus' Name   Christian world missions in the name of Jesus, the Living Water   World missions and water well drilling in Africa, India, Asia, Central America and beyond   Green, fair trade soap making for hygiene and micro enterprise
Donate to non-profit world missions organization for clean drinking water projects   Contact Hydromissions International via email, phone, mail or Skype   Links to Living Water, Life Water, and other Christian water well drilling missions organizations

Philosophy - Drills - Pumps & Water Lifting - Solar Pasteurization
Chlorination - Free Plans - Training Video & Programs
- Think Tank (R&D)

 
 Philosophy:  We are missionaries.  Most of our customers are missionaries.  We understand how hard it is to get things done in the third world.  We also understand what it means to work with limited resources.  That is why we have adopted a philosophy of "de-engineering" and sharing of information here at Hydromissions.  We do not patent or copyright any of our products - that would defeat our purpose.  You should be able to look at any of our products and say, "I could make that."  Go for it.  However, we believe that you will find that we make the products better and less expensive than most people could at home.

Our products are unique because they are designed to be reproduced or repaired in whatever country you serve.  There are no complicated engines or costly parts to break down, and the local people can easily learn to use and maintain the equipment themselves.  In addition, our products are designed to be extremely portable, allowing you to expand your water ministry into new areas that would be difficult to reach by other methods.  (top)
 

Hydromissions accepts cash, checks and money orders.
 

Drills

The "Explorer" Hand Drilling System™ is one of the most versatile hand drilling systems in production.  We have partnered with AMS, Inc., a world leader in soil sampling equipment, to manufacture this system exclusively for Hydromissions®.  The "Explorer" system builds on field-proven designs that have been used around the world to drill water wells by hand without bulky engines, mud pumps, or costly machinery.  The various components can be repaired or replaced using parts that are accessible in most third-world countries**.   Hydromissions International has engineered the system to be a "go anywhere" tool that fits within the check-in limits for baggage on most airlines***, and the entire drill can be backpacked to just about any location without having to worry about vehicle accessibility or special transportation requirements.  If you are already using powered equipment, the "Explorer" system can be used in conjunction with your current system as an exploratory tool to cut down on time and logistics costs.  If you have technical questions specifically related to well drilling, please click here to view our FAQs page (top)

Welcome to the cutting edge of low-technology!

**Please note:  Due to dramatic increases in raw steel prices, we have had to increase our drill prices as of 08/11/2008.  However, we (personally) have absorbed most of that increase in order to keep your cost down as best as we can.  In fact, the price of the EXP-50 kit remains the same as it has been for the past 3 years - only a few of the individual spare parts have increased.

Photo Part # Description Price*
Hydromissions EXP-50 portable hand water well drilling rig EXP-50

“Explorer” Hand Drilling System.  This kit includes everything you need to start drilling for water down to 50ft or more**.  Your EXP-50 comes with (1) EXP-01, 02, 03, 04, 07, (2) EXP-13, (16) EXP-05, and (25) EXP-06.  We even throw in (2) extra collars for you to make more extensions in the field.   Click here for an online manual.

$895.00

YOU
SAVE
$152 !

off individual parts price

Water well drilling regular auger bit EXP-01

Auger Bit, Regular.  5" diameter, hardened carbon steel teeth. For use in average soil conditions.

$170.00
Water well drilling sand auger bit EXP-02

Auger Bit, Sand.  5" diameter, hardened carbon steel teeth. For use in sandy soil conditions.

$185.00
Water well drilling mud auger bit EXP-14

Auger Bit, Mud.  5" diameter, hardened carbon steel teeth.  For use in damp or muddy soil conditions.

$195.00
Water well drilling rock cracking bit EXP-03 Cracking Bit.  3" wide, cold chisel for breaking compacted gravels and hard soils. $39.50
Water well drilling casing auger bit EXP-16 Casing Bit, Sand.  2-3/4" diameter.  Perfect for drilling from inside or cleaning out a 4" casing. $170.00
Water well drilling auger T-handle EXP-04 T-Handle.  Connects to EXP-05 extension rod to form the torque handle. $22.50
Water well drilling auger extension rods EXP-05 Extension Rod.  3ft length.  Pre-drilled connection holes. $20.00
Water well drilling auger locking pins EXP-06 Lock Pin.  Secures joint connections within the "Explorer" drilling system. $3.00
Water well drilling multi-slip EXP-07 Multi-Slip.  Prevents drill pipe and PVC pipe from falling down the bore hole.  Made of heavy-duty steel. $110.00
Water well drilling - extension rod drill guide EXP-17 Drill Guide Kit.  A jig and bit set for more accurately aligning lock-pin holes when making your own extensions in the field. $30.00
Water well drilling - hand percussion cable tool pulley EXP-08 Tripod Cap and Pulley Set.  Creates a pulley tower using extension rods (EXP-05).  Includes tripod cap, (3) stabilizer feet, (3) lock pins and quick clip.  Constructed of heavy duty steel. $75.00
EXP-11 Collar.  1.25"x1.25"x4".  Weld to 1" square steel tubing to make your own extensions in the field. $2.50
Water well drilling - accessory carrying bag EXP-13 Carrying Bag.  Convenient storage and transportation for your "Explorer" parts. $60.00

* All prices are given in U.S. dollars.  Prices do not include sales tax, shipping or handling.   ** Compatible parts may not be available in all countries, so please check availability for your specific country of interest before purchasing a Hydromissions® product.  Drilling depth varies depending on the geological conditions of your area.  The "Explorer" drilling rig is recommended for shallow (up to 100ft) well drilling only, and is not designed to drill through hard rock.  The user is responsible for complying with all local and international laws regarding well drilling.    *** Airline regulations vary according to carrier.  Please be sure to check the luggage requirements for your specific flights.  (top)


 

Pumps & Water Lifting

The Hydromissions BB-01 "Bailer Bucket" is about as low-tech as you can get.  It is basically the classic idea of lowering a bucket down a well, but modernized for smaller diameter (4 inch/100mm) tube wells.  We sell the BB-01 as a simple kit that packs into an ultra-small (4 inch x 4 inch x 6 inch) box, weighing a mere 21 ounces.  The real beauty of it is that, once in the field, all you need to buy is a short (3 ft/1 meter) piece of 3 inch diameter PVC and a rope.  And if you want to get fancy with a crank and pulley system (windlass), we have designed an excellent one using any junker bicycle that you happen find lying around (see detailed instructions in the "Free Plans" section).  This system can make a MAJOR difference in remote villages due to its simplicity, extremely low cost, and local sustainability.  In addition, the BB-01 "Bailer Bucket" allows you to get water out of a well even when the water level is too little to get out with a pump (if you've ever sucked a well "dry", you know what we mean).  (top)

The "Slap Shot" Universal Deep Well Pump Cylinder is a great innovation in rural well-pump technology.   Collaborating with several missionary designers to bring the blueprints to reality, the SS-01 is a lift pump that easily converts to a positive force pump, which means that it can apply pressure to pump water uphill for storage or over distances for irrigation - a significant advantage over a lift pump only design.  Another huge advantage is that both valves are accessible without having to remove the riser main for repairs (and there is no extra fishing tool to get lost - it is built into the design!).  The "Slap Shot" is light weight, inexpensive, and uses off-the-shelf parts, allowing the locals to build and maintain their own pumps.  (top)

The Hydromissions® Ram Pump is a non-electric, mechanical water-pumping device that is placed in a small stream or creek to pump water up hill for storage or irrigation.  Although we have had lots of requests for these due to their curiosity, ram pumps are tricky to tune, and have (in our opinion) limited application in most of the missions environments that we typically encounter.  In light of this, rather than selling them, we have posted Free Plans for you to build your own.  (top)

Afridev and India Mark II deep well pumps:  For those of you looking for Afridev or India Mark hand pumps, please understand that although these are excellent pumps, they can be quite expensive - and ALL pumps fail over time (usually after 6-12 months - that's just the reality of mechanical devices).  If you still want to buy an Afridev or India pump, be sure to buy those that are manufactured locally (they are public domain designs, and if you go to our "Countries" page, we try to list in-country manufacturers when we find them.  Even so, understand that most villages and individuals will not have the access or the income to purchase replacement parts for such pumps - this is why Hydromissions® does not manufacture these pumps (if the locals can't sustain them for themselves, then we don't use them in the field).  If you still feel you should go the Afridev or India Mark II route, and you have the infrastructure to import and sustain them, then we suggest the following manufacturers:  http://www.mahabirindustries.com/le/lemon_includes/products.html, http://www.ajaycorp.com/hand-pump.html, and http://www.meera-ceiko.com/product.htm.

Photo Part # Description Price*
The alternative for deep well hand pumps - the Hydromissions Bailer Bucket BB-01

NEW! "Bailer Bucket" Kit.  Bailer buckets are the least expensive, most "village accessible" way to draw water from a tube well - and they still work when recharge rates are too slow for a pump. Kit includes cross bar end cap, foot valve end cap, 100ft rope and pulley.  Weighs only 2 pounds for easy travel. Click here for an online manual.

$25
Deep well pump cylinder for Afridev or India Mark II hand water well pumps SS-01
(Clear pvc body is for demo purposes only, not for sale.  Actual pump body is white pvc)

"Slap Shot" Universal Deep Well Pump Cylinder.  Specifically designed for the third world, this cylinder uses simple, off-the-shelf parts that are locally available (the whole idea is for villagers to be able to make it for  themselves).  Adaptable to any pump head (Afridev, India Mark II, etc); both valves accessible without having to pull out riser main (No extra fishing tool to get lost - it's built into the design!).  We are so convinced this cylinder will make a difference, that we have made the plans free to the public.  Click here for free plans.  To see video of how a typical pump cylinder works, click here.  To see a video of the "Slapshot" in action and how to build one, click here.

$100
ONLY 10 LEFT!

  WE ARE NO LONGER MAKING SLAPSHOTS (too busy with other R& D, and these take some time), BUT YOU CAN BUILD ONE YOURSELF FOR $45 USING OUR FREE PLANS

Home made water ram pump Developed in conjunction with:


On Demand Engineering

 

Ram Pump.  We have had so many requests for these, that we finally decided to pursue the project.  Our conclusion, however, is simply this:  they are tricky to tune, and have very limited application.  In light of these findings, we have chosen not to sell them (but we might package a parts kit in the future).  However, we have posted "do-it-yourself" plans for making your own using off the shelf parts that you can buy at any home improvement store (Lowe's parts list included).  Here are free plans (2 files: blueprint & set up.

Est. parts cost: $45
THIS ITEM IS A BUILD-IT-YOURSELF AND IS NOT SOLD BY HYDROMISSIONS
* All prices are given in U.S. dollars.  Prices do not include sales tax, shipping or handling.    (top)

 

SOLAR PASTEURIZATION

The Hydromissions SPADE ™(Solar Pasteurization Detector) is designed to be used to create multi-user "pasteurization stations" in small villages.  It has been known for quite sometime (especially in the dairy industry) that many liquids do not have to be boiled in order to kill harmful bacteria.  Instead, disease-causing organisms in water may be killed by exposure to lower levels of heat in a process called pasteurization.  Water that has been heated to 65ºC (150ºF) for a short period of time is free from microbes including Escherichia coli, Rotaviruses, Giardia and the Hepatitis A virus. At around 70ºC (160ºF), milk and other foods are pasteurized.  The SPADE is a simple, re-usable device that indicates when adequate temperatures for water pasteurization have been reached.

The recommended model is to collect used water bottles, drill a 1/4-inch hole in each cap, and attach one SPADE to the inside of each cap with the wax at the top.  Construct a simple A-frame of corrugated tin, painted black, and placed in full sun.  Fill each bottle with water, attach cap, and place bottle in the grooves of the A-frame.  When the water reaches the desired temperature, the wax melts and runs to the bottom of the SPADE capsule.  Simply reverse the capsule to repeat the process.  (top)

Photo Part # Description Price*
SPADE wapi type solar water pasteurization detector SP-01

SPADE (Solar Pasteurization Detector).  Tough, shock-resistant, RE-USABLE capsule and wing nut.  Wax melts at 160ºF with a flow at 165ºF.  Note: This is a temperature (not biological) indicator only.

$20.00
(10-pack)
* All prices are given in U.S. dollars.  Prices do not include sales tax, shipping or handling.   (top)

 

CHLORINATION

The S.W.I.M. ™(Safe Water International Ministries) CPU (Chlorine Producing Unit) is capable of producing an almost endless supply of chlorine disinfectant from simple table salt.  Basically, the unit is a funnel with a special, electrically charged membrane (the charge is via a car or motorcycle battery, or via a small solar panel).  A mixture of salt water is poured through it, and the charge separates the salt (NaCl) into chlorine (Cl) and a mixed, non-toxic byproduct.  The concentrated chlorine is then added to drinking water as a disinfectant.  (top)

Another approach is to add household bleach.  For a rough guideline, click here for a chlorination chart.
 

Photo Part # Description Price*
Miox solar electric water chlorination unit
CPU

CPU (Chlorine Producing Unit).  This product is not a Hydromissions product.  You have to buy it directly from Safe Water International Ministries.  Tell them we sent you.

$150
Direct from manufacturer
HYDROMISSIONS DOES NOT SELL THIS ITEM
 

Free Plans!

We develop low, old, and often abandoned technologies and put them into a packaged form so you don't have to waste time and resources tinkering in the field.  However, if you are the tinkering type, we have included the following plans for you to use.  Click, print, have fun.  (top)
 
slapshot deep water well pump cylinder, Afridev, India Mark II compatible Hydromissions® "SlapShot" Universal Deep Well Pump Cylinder.  An off-the-shelf-parts, third world adaptable pump cylinder, compatible with most pump heads and well casings.  To see a video of the "Slapshot" in action and how to build one, click here.
Bicycle hand water pump Hydromissions® Bicycle Windlass.  An ultra-economical rope and pulley system made from almost any junk bicycle.  Perfect for use with the Hydromissions BB-01 "Bailer Bucket".  As far as lifting water goes, this is about as low-tech and inexpensive as it gets!
Home made biosand ceramic water filter Clay Pot (Nadi) Filter.  The same concept as a bio-sand filter, but this uses home-made ceramic pots.  Note:  this is not the same thing as a 'ceramic' filter.
Home made water ram pump plans KTM/Hydromissions® Ram Pump.  This is a classic, non-electric, self-perpetuating, mechanical device that is placed in a stream to pump water up hill for storage or irrigation.  A well-tuned ram pump can pump water up hill in an almost 3:1 (height to drop) ratio.  As intriguing as they are, they are tricky to tune and have limited application.  You can buy most of the parts at any home improvement store.  Click here for set up instructions.
Tippy tap plans for hand washing Tippy Tap.  This is a simple device to hang in a dwelling or in a latrine to promote hand-washing without a lot of excess water loss.  The water tank and soap dispenser are located together for convenience.  Remember, hand washing is the number one prevention for the spread of disease.
VIP latrine plans VIP Latrine.  The ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine is the best latrine design that we have seen.  We prefer the double-vault structure where possible, since the pits are shallow and the waste is recycled for fertilizer.
Latrine fly catcher plans Fly Catcher.  The Fly Catcher is a simple device for capturing flies, made from a common, 2-liter soda bottle.  Since flies are significant carriers of disease, it is important to implement some measure of control as part of your overall Hydromissions program.  We recommend placing one or two of these devices in each latrine and in each individual dwelling.
Biosand cistern filter plans Alternating Cistern Filter.  If you are using a rain catchment system for water acquisition or supplementation, some form of front-end filtering is essential for keeping the system clean.  This is a simple way to set up a continuous filter between the rain gutter and the holding tank or cistern.
 

 

Training

RELEASED, JANUARY 1, 2009 - Water Well Drilling Video!  Filmed in 4 countries over 3 continents, this 55 minute video gives you the ins and outs of water well drilling by hand.  If you want to know what to expect "in the field", then this video is for you.  Produced by Holy Water Group and Hydromissions International.

Lots of people ask us how they can learn Hydromissions techniques, and how they can come with us on a water project.  Third world water technology is much more than just drilling or filtration - you really have to be able to think on your feet and make do with very limited and unpredictable resources.  Rather than reinventing the wheel to develop our own training program, we have decided to send you to the same folks who trained us.  Equip International is based in Marion, North Carolina with another branch in British Columbia, Canada.  They have an excellent water technologies course that is a lot better than anything we could come up with.  To find out when, where, and how much, click on the link below and tell them "Hydromissions sent you".  (top)

Equip training courses for water well drilling and appropriate technology