One of the primary problems to be addressed on this trip was the repair of a series of handpumps. These repairs were needed to help the local villagers obtain clean water, rather than drawing water from the river, contaminated streams, puddles next to the road, or from uncovered, contaminated hand-dug wells such as shown in the photograph below (this well is still actively used and examples significantly worse than shown here were observed). The well shown tested positive for contamination by pathogens.
Much of the work involved villages that were significant distances from Cap Haitien. They were not served by electricity and there were few alternatives to water supply with the exception of contaminated surface water or hand pump wells. Shown below is a typical village setting in which a hand pump needed repair.
The most common repairs were to the drop pipe (broken or separated) or the pump (sucker) rod. In more elaborate repairs, the pump cylinder needed to be repaired, with the pump leathers well worn in at least one situation. Thanks to the ingenuity of the Lifewater crowd, the leathers could be repaired in the field and replaced in the pump cylinder. The photo below shows the new pump leathers (made in the field) fitted to a pump cylinder.
Repairs were also commonly needed on the uphole pump assembly. The OMS group included some drillers from the states who had learned how to make common household items work in this particular setting for purposes never dreamed about by the manufacturer. In the photo below, Don Robertson (right) is using leather shoe laces to repair the guide which keeps the pump rod moving in a vertical direction. After 20 or so wraps, the repair was completed and the pump was ready for operation.
Following repair of the hand pump (and chlorination if access to the interior of the well was available during the repair), the well was tested to make sure it was working (first photo below) and then tested for a number of water quality parameters including temperature, pH, and a generic pathogen test. Mr. Mike Turvey (I guess we will have to excuse his cubs hat) is shown here with his test kits (lower picture below).
The final reward is, of course watching the local villagers use the well. The number of children present never ceased to amaze me. Further, the faith and hope so obvious in the faces of these young Haitiens gives you the feeling that with just a little help from each of us, the future of Haiti could be much brighter and the hope for the next generation of Haitians could be great indeed!! The picture shown below shows the final result of our efforts. The community is banding together to share in the gift of uncontaminated water!!
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