Bore Hole Project

Boreholes – cheap safe water supply for rural communities

Boreholes are an inexpensive way to provide a safe and reliable water supply to a local community. A single borehole should supply water, with almost no maintenance for 100 families for up to 10 years. They make a fantastic difference to rural communities.

We are raising money as part of a small team visit to India in November 2022 to fund at least one and maybe more boreholes.

In many rural areas of Andhra Pradesh there is a limited connection to mains water. These connections are single low pressure pipes travelling several miles from their source and often water is only made available at certain times of the day. The low pressure makes collection both time-consuming and labour intensive. Other sources of water have in the past included traditional wells, lakes or rivers. These are easily contaminated during drier seasons especially when shared with livestock.

Sadly on occasions extra boreholes are crucial as communities can be excluded from water supply by caste, religion or family division. Villagers may have to travel considerable distances to alternative sources.

Practically boreholes are as their name. A truck mounted rig drills a hole to an appropriate level and then a plastic pipe is inserted which collects ground water. This is typically 30m – 50m deep, though a pump can work as deep as 100m. Ground water is usually plentiful and naturally filtered at this depth and is largely free from contamination but as a precaution is chemically tested before completion.

A simple and very reliable pump is mounted on a cemented slab which seals everything and can deliver up to 15 litres per minute. Pumps are easy to operate, don’t require particular strength and can be maintained with a few simple tools. The holes themselves can also be refurbished and pipework renewed but this would be only required after being used for at least ten years.

The main cost is the drilling rig and how far it has to drill, the pump itself is only around £50-£100 depending again on depth. The whole process takes 2/3 days to complete.

With a typical budget of £750 this is a fantastic opportunity to provide reliable, clean water - the most fundamental of human needs.

The best way to help is today is through a one off gift of whatever amount. You can do this simply through our website at www.frontlinedevelopment.org or by pointing your phone camera at the QR code below. We will send you simple information how all gifts can be enhanced through Gift Aid very easily if you are a tax payer. All of your gift including gift aid will be used for this borehole project.