A Post in Above The Chaos
June 25, 2025
We are being quoted ~$15k to $20k to drill wells in rural East Africa.
We wonder how we might be able to empower communities for 1/10th of that.
The research begins.
1. Manual (Baptist‑style) Borehole Drilling + Hand Pump
• A manual “Baptist drilling rig” can be constructed locally for around $150 (2006 prices) plus PVC casing and pump components (~$2 per metre) .
• With this method, communities can drill down up to ~30 m (even 100+ m in ideal cases) using basic tools and labor .
• Installing a community hand‑pump (e.g., Afridev) allows sustainable access to deeper, typically safer groundwater, with simple maintenance .
Takeaway - It seems there is a big market gap for an open-source drilling machine design / kit that scales through a few pricepoints...
J's intuition is that highly effective machines could be manufactured out of available materials in developing countries for under $10k. The Village Drill is an interesting step conceptually, but still expensive for mass-roll-out and adoption.
| Step | Method | Power Source | Typical Depth | Cost per Rig (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baptist Manual Drilling | Human | ≤30 m | ~$150–$300 |
| 2 | Bicycle/Treadle Power | Human Mechanical | ≤50 m | <$500 |
| 3 | Animal-Powered | Animal Mechanical | ≤60 m | ~$500–$1,500 |
| 4 | Small Petrol/Diesel Engine | Engine | ≤100 m | ~$1,000–$3,000 |
| 5 | Solar-Powered Electric Drill | Solar Electric | ≤100 m | ~$2,500–$6,000 |
| 6 | Trailer-Mounted Small Rig | Diesel Mechanical | ≤200 m | ~$10,000–$20,000 |
| 7 | Full Truck-Mounted Rig | Diesel Hydraulic | ≤500+ m | ~$30,000–$100,000+ |