Under the direction of IA's full time staff, hand-operated drilling is being done by the local people who are paid for their labor. The drill uses standard drill bits and 3-foot long drill string that can produce boreholes up to 150 feet deep. This depth allows access to groundwater in about 80% of the areas in Haiti and is truly life-giving and saving.
Once a well is completed, a well casing is installed and then a pump is lowered into the well. Pumps can be either hand pumps or electric submersible pumps, depending on need and available funding. Electric pumps are typically powered by solar panels or generators. Solar panels are preferred since there is no operational cost, but of course they only work when the sun shines.
Gasoline generators can be run any time but naturally depend on the availability of fuel and its cost.
Our drills are disassembled after each drilling operation is complete. The disassembled drill can then be placed in the back of a pickup truck and transported to the next site. If the intended site is not in near proximity to a road, the components can be hand-carried to the site by locals, even over mountain trails. A typical well can be completed in just a few weeks once construction is underway.
This means that IA can effectively drill in locations inaccessible to other drilling rigs. About a 3-hour assembly is required to get the drill operational once the location site is reached.