What Is Water Well Drilling?
Water well drilling requires workers to use heavy equipment like drill rigs to drill a hole in the ground to create access to groundwater for communal use. The depth of these wells can range anywhere from 20 to 1,000 feet, based on the groundwater level and the community’s needs. Deeper wells provide safe water even during severe drought and heat.
GFA World has provided communities with wells that offer clean, accessible water for more than 20 years. One of GFA Word’s drilled wells, call a Jesus Well, can serve up to 300 people daily; it costs approximately $1,400—that’s roughly $5 per person! This money pays for local supplies, materials and equipment and also covers the salary of a local laborer to drill the well.
There are many benefits of drilled water wells:
- Cleanliness — Many impoverished communities rely on surface water from lakes, ponds and rain runoff for daily water use. However, surface water is often visibly and invisibly contaminated. Drilled water wells provide safe and reliable water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, bathing and much more.
- Protection — Drilled water wells protect water from air-borne contaminants as well as from chemicals, dust or human defecation. These wells also protect water from extreme heat and drought.
- Cost — Drilling wells is relatively inexpensive, and and it is efficient; workers can construct wells quickly. Drilled wells require less maintenance, which reduces long-term expenses.
- Accessibility — Many impoverished communities do not have access to water due to the climate or the location of their homes. So, many women and children in rural communities walk from 3-5 miles a day to collect water. Water wells are usually drilled inside villages near churches, so villagers can easily access the well daily. Accessible wells allow women to work other jobs to provide for their families and children to go to school.
Having wells accessible to people in communities in Asia and Africa means that fetching water is no longer a day-long activity. Most importantly, Jesus Wells can be a life-saving resource for dozens of families to protect them from dehydration, lack of sanitation and even severe disease.
Give the gift of clean water today!
Learn more about well drilling
1 “Jesus Wells: Giving Clean Water to an Entire Community.” GFA World. Accessed 27 February 2022. https://www.gfa.org/jesus-wells/.