Building a Well Is the Easy Part

When it comes to providing the essential resource of clean drinking water to people in India, building a well is the easy part. Learn more here!

Clean water is very important in India. Over one-fifth of communicable diseases in India can be linked to unhealthy water, and these diseases kill hundreds of Indian children a day.

Wells provide the essential clean water access that keeps people alive; however, did you know that building a well is actually the easy part?

Keep reading to learn more about what keeps these wells flowing!

With the right team and equipment, a well can be drilled in as little as 1 day.

However, there is a lot that can go wrong with the new well as the years go by.

Each well requires ongoing maintenance, upkeep, and repair, which is why up to 30% of charity-funded water well budgets go towards training and educating locals about how to repair and take care of their well. This way, they don't have to wait months for it to be repaired by others if it breaks.

Money to build wells often comes from charity organizations, and it is vital for these organizations to allocate well maintenance as part of their budget!

As mentioned above, nearly a third of the budget for a new well goes into training programs. Training the community in the repair and upkeep of the well itself is well worth this investment.

In many ways, this is the most important part of keeping the well active and healthy. The community will be first on the scene in the event of any damage. If they can fix it themselves, it will save plenty of time, money, and natural resources!

In a perfect world, the trained members of the community will be able to handle anything that happens to the wells, but some things may happen that are beyond their ability to repair.

This is why it's important for the community to have skilled mechanics that they can call upon. These people may be outsiders who are paid regularly as part of the well upkeep (more on that in a minute) or specific community members who have received specialized training.

Of course, nothing in life is free. The well may have been constructed using charity funds, but the cost of its upkeep is ultimately in the hands of the surrounding community.

The easiest financial arrangement for these mechanics is a regular monthly fee. This modest amount (typically under 10 dollars) helps cover the actual repair costs.

If a community cannot pay in cash, it is also possible to use the barter system and trade food, livestock, or something else of worth with the mechanics.

Most of the ideas on here come from years of following practices that have proven successful. However, newer practices are emerging to help provide even more wells in India.

Specifically, some individuals and organizations have been funding entrepreneurs and small startups that are focused on helping out in the area. In this way, the community gets a committed helper while the entrepreneur capitalizes on the opportunity of building a well.

Now you know why building a well is the easy part! Would you like to be part of the next step?

Global Citizen reports that "...almost 600 million people in India are at high risk of being unable to continue relying on surface water." At Breakthrough Water, our goal is to provide water wells to the remote villages of India. Beyond that though, we want to bring not just physical nourishment, but also spiritual nourishment to India and beyond!

To learn how you can be part of this healing process, join our mailing list today!