WorldWide Drilling Resource

by Tim Rasmussen Aldea Los Paracaidistas is a village of about 550 people just off themain highway a fewmiles north of Rio Dulce at marker 311. They do not have water, even though in 2012 the government provided a water system and the villagers provided the distribution piping around the area. This system produced water for three months; then worked on and off for a few minutes, and nothing since. Three years ago and no repairs. The system includes the standard municipal water tower with an approximately 10,000-gallon tank, a 229-foot deep well with 114-foot static water level, a 10-horsepower (hp) pump on three-inch drop pipe, air line, and nice little pump house with chlorine injector. Everything you need for a water system - except water. Mariano, a man from Canada who is advocating for the village to assist them in getting water, called Berny and asked for help. During the dry months, the villagers are desperate for water. Gary responded to the call to come and look. In Gary’s words: “We had traveled in the pickup to look at several sites, so we did not have meters, which are on the pump truck, to check the system. I opened the control panel and smelled burned electrical components, and a small frog jumped out onto the floor. I turned all the controls on, then manually held the contactor in, and the pump ran. We could feel the three-inch pipe turn cooler as the water came up. We have no idea of the amperage, etc., but will return in a week or two and learn that. We will ask the villagers to purchase a new 10-hp, 230-volt, single-phase pump panel because the capacitors are leaking and other components are likely rusting inside from the extreme humidity. There is a switch with probes down the well, which may indicate a well which won't produce adequate water to keep a 10-hp pump running. Perhaps everything will be fine when we get the controls in order. If the well is drastically reduced because of collapsing clay, we'll drill a small well next year and put a 5-hp pump in it. If it works out okay and they need more water, we'll drill another small well the following year and run them both into the tank. This is a $700,000 system which is doing nothing for anybody. Water For Life will try and help make this system productive. If you are reading this and have a heart to help people, and if you are willing to be a little uncomfortable, and want to do something to really help someone, please come and join us. Water For Life changes lives. We now have 89 wells in operation, providing safe water to more than 25,000 people every day. There is a place for you. If you can’t come, please support us.” If you would like to help, contact Gary Bartholomew at 509-466-5075 or 509-939-1941 Tim michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com 47 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® APRIL 2017