agua:yakuagua:yaku An EFCCM-affiliated water well EFCCM drilling project in Santa Cruz, Bolivia drilling project in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Map of Bolivia Daniel and Vanessa Beams, missionaries with EFCCM, live in the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. They work primarily in rural communities in the eastern half of the country..

Typical Water Sources People in rural Bolivia without access to well water are forced to drink from unsafe surface water such as ponds and rivers.

Hand Dug Wells Traditionally, water is often accessed from shallow wells that are hand dug. Because the water has not filtered adequately, it is still unsanitary. These wells also pose a danger for children who could fall into them.

Community Deep Wells The government sometimes provides a community with a single centrally located well. The water is generally clean but families must often carry water for miles back to their isolated rural homes and farms.

Carrying Water The laborious burden of carrying water is generally delegated to women and children.

Professional Drilled Deep Wells Wealthy farmers and ranchers can afford to hire a drilling company to drill a private deep well for $3000 to $10,000 dollars. These expensive wells are beyond the financial means of peasant farmers who typically do not earn more than $500 a year.

agua:yaku - appropriate well drilling technology The agua:yaku project is training community organizations how to drill family wells using a simple drilling technique that uses manual labor and locally available tools and resources. A family can drill their own well and install a hand pump for $150 to $250.

The Well Drilling Process A scaffolding is constructed, to which a rope and pulley is attached.

Next, a steel drill stem with a handmade drill-bit is driven into the ground using many short fast up and down strokes. Mud (water thickened with bentonite) is used as a drilling fluid to lift cuttings up through the drill stem and into a settling pool.

The Drilling Bit The bit is made from locally available parts and scrap metal, including a valve that opens and closes with the up and down action to lift the mud and cuttings up through the drill stem.

Diagram of Drilling Technology

As the well deepens, lengths of heavy duty PVC pipe are coupled to the steel drill stem. A complete drilling rig and all necessary tools cost approximately $400. Rigs are loaned to communities where well digging clubs are formed and families help each other drill wells on each group member’s farm.

As the drilling rig becomes heavier, one person guides the drill stem while a team of four to six “rowers” lifts and drops the rig with a rope and pulley. This technique has been used to drill over 2000 wells in Bolivia. It can drill up 300 feet, penetrating top soil, sand, clay, gravel and light rock. Typical wells are 50 to 150 feet deep and can be completed in one to two days.

To reduce the amount of labor needed to drill a well, the drilling process can also be motorized with a portable steel drilling rig and a 4 hp motor.

Once the well has been drilled to the depth of a clean water aquifer (usually between 60 and 200 feet), a hand made filter is placed in the aquifer and the well is cased using high quality 2” to 4” PVC pipe.

Inserting the filter and casing in the well.

Details of Well Casing:

The well is cleaned out and developed using an air compressor or a hand pump.

A hand pump is constructed from parts available in local hardware stores. Well owners are taught how to build and maintain their own pumps.

Installing the hand pump

Completed family well with hand pump.

The agua:yaku well drilling project equips poor rural Bolivian families to drill and maintain their own affordable water wells and water storage. Easy access to clean water improves the health and hygiene of families and enables them to increase family farm income. Agua:yaku project staff use friendships with project participants as a way to introduce our Christian faith, helping to disciple new believers and strengthen local churches.

Both Canadian and U.S. residents may make tax deductible contributions to this ministry. All contributions received will go directly to the EFCCM for the Beams support and a yearend tax receipt will be returned confirming the donation. In the U.S. Mail to: EFCA Attn: Donor Services 901 East 78 th St Minneapolis, MN Online: You may also make an online donation using a credit card or set up a monthly contribution by visiting the EFCA website at: (US) or (Canadian) You may also make an online donation using a credit card or set up a monthly contribution by visiting the EFCA website at: (US) or (Canadian) Again bAgain be sure to designate the gift for Daniel and Vanessa Beams account # Again b In Canada Mail to: EFCCM Attn: Donor Services PO Box 850, Langley Station LCD 1 Langley, BC V3A 8S6 In the memo line please designate the gift for Daniel and Vanessa Beams account # In the memo line please designate the gift to “Beams in Bolivia.” Partnership:

If you would like more information, please contact us below. Contact Us In the US: agua:yaku c/o Daniel Beams 3217 Mist Lake Ct Lexington, KY Tel: In Bolivia: agua:yaku c/o Daniel Beams Casilla 3740 Santa Cruz, Bolivia Tel: Check us out Online: