Tanzania: US engineering students develop “Village Drill”

A team of engineering students from Brigham Young University (BYU) has developed a human-powered drill that can reach a depth of up to 75 metres at 10% to 20% the cost of a traditional motorized well rig. A prototype of the “Village Drill” cost around US$ 4,000 (excluding labour) to make in the USA.

The BYU students created the drill for a project in Tanzania run by WHOLives.org, a nonprofit based in South Jordan, Utah. The project is also co-sponsored by the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology.

The drill can be operated by four people. Three spin the wheel that turns the drill bit (cutting tool), and the fourth lifts the bit up and down when necessary to punch through tough spots. A water pump system removes the dirt from the 15 cm-wide hole.

In May 2011, a drilling team was able to construct a 45 m well  with the patented “Village Drill” in 3 days in Magugu, Tanzania.

Related news: WASH technology information packages : for UNICEF WASH programme and supply personnel, E-Source, 24 Aug 2010

Related web sites:

• WHOLives.org
• Akvopedia – water portal
• RWSN – Hand or Manual Drilled Wells
• IRC WASH Library – manual drilling

Source: BYU, 14 Jul 2011

Southern Africa: winning the race – sanitation in rapidly-growing towns

This is a call for participants and contributors to an in-depth learning and sharing session on sanitation in rapidly-growing towns.

IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, together with UCLGA, WIN-SA and AusAid, are hosting a Learning and Sharing Workshop around this crucial topic in November 2011. The 2 day session, to be held near Johannesburg (in the week of 7 November), will explore proactive, tangible ways to deal with pressing sanitation issues in towns experiencing rapid growth in Southern Africa.

SADC participants (eligible countries in green here) are invited to apply to participate or contribute to the workshop – which discusses practical and pragmatic ways to seize the current ‘window of opportunity’ that exists in rapidly growing towns. The application deadline is 5 October 2011.

For more information and an application form go to: www.irc.nl/page/66412

African Water Facility Call for Concept Notes on Sanitation Improvement for Urban Poor

The African Water Facility (AWF) has issued a Call for Concept Notes under the urban sanitation theme for the urban poor in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The AWF will fund up to ten projects that promise to address the needs and to sustainably improving the sanitation situation of a densely populated urban poor community, or of a small to medium size town relying mainly on latrines and septic tanks.

The funds allocated will vary from € 800 000 to € 1 200 000, for a duration of 24 to 36 months.

The submission deadline is September 30, 2011